Life of the Party
by Godell
Summary: High School AU. Title edited. Envy is known for his amazing teenonly parties, and his loyal friends...though Greed is an interesting case. But friendships can change...and things are going to get quite confusing for the group THIS year...
1. Prologue

The Life of the Party, the Friendships of a Lifetime

By

Godell

Disclaimer: I don't own FMA or the song "Get This Party Started" by _PINK. _

-Prologue-

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Envy drummed his fingers against the steering wheel of his silver Mercedes, looking impatient. It took Ed, what, _ten minutes _to even get out of bed…?

"Hey, Pipsqueak! _I'm getting tired of waiiiiting…_" he chanted as loud as he could, eyeing the shabby old house that his friend lived in.

The house was a simple little townhouse that was painted white, with a small flower garden at it's front and a white picket fence around it. The shutters were blue, and the curtains were a light yellow.

In general, the kind of place that Envy found utterly dull and clichéd from the outside.

On the inside, however, it was more of a library: books lined every available shelf, and covered almost every surface. The kitchen was usually clean and sparkling with a recent washing, and something was nearly always cooking. Edward's room was either cluttered with books and homework, or as neat as Edward could tolerate- there had to be some evidence a living, breathing person lived there. Alphonse was never, ever messy in his room—everything was in such perfect, aligned order that Envy often joked about having to cover his eyes if he walked by the place. It was the home of his friend, Ed, and he made _absolutely sure _that he never showed his opinion about the place in front of their mother.

"EDWAAAAAAAAARD!!"

As soon as Envy bellowed out the name, Ed shot out of the house like a bullet, yanking on a black t-shirt as he did so. As usual, Ed wore his black shirt and leather pants, and had his blonde hair in a braid. Envy and the others often mocked him about that hairstyle—it made him look even more feminine than he already did. His golden eyes were starting to spark with impatience as he wrenched open the car door, and sat next to Envy; he would be riding shotgun as usual.

"Do you have _any _patience, Envy?! Any at all?!" Ed growled, flopping onto the leather seat.

Envy grinned, and revved up the engine. "Pipsqueak, you've known me since 5th grade, which means we've been friends for five years. It's summer, and it's not sunny. I figured you'd be used to the routine by now."

"DON'T CALL ME SMALL!"

Envy rolled his eyes, and backed out of the small driveway. "Again, everyone calls you that at some point or other. Get used to it."

Ed sighed. "It's hard to…I _know _I…don't compare to some people in some matters…but what I lack in _that _area, I make up for in others."

"Oh, just admit you're a Pipsqueak and be done with it."

Ed sent Envy an Eye of the Tiger Death Glare™ as Envy narrowly avoided a mailbox. Envy simply smirked, and stared at Ed slyly out of the corner of his amethyst-toned contact eye. The Mercedes made it's way across the street and onto a gravel road that led through a forest, where Ed knew The Base was located. After a few minutes of slightly-breakneck speeding, Ed finally turned his head fully around to see what Envy was doing—and instantly began to panic.

Envy wasn't steering.

"_Envy, what the ---- are you DOING?!_" Ed bellowed, scrabbling for the wheel. Envy shoved him back into his seat with his free arms.

"Just _relax, _Ed, and _enjoy the ride…_" he soothed, a wide, mischievous grin on his pale features.

"'_Enjoy the ride'?! _You're not _steering, _dangit!"

Envy smirked, and shuffled his feet. "No braking, either." He sniggered.

"AAAAAAGH! Are you _trying _to get us killed?!" Ed screamed, his arms flailing in frustration.

Envy shrugged, and propped his sandal-covered feet on the dashboard. "Just an adrenaline rush."

Ed covered his face with his hands, and attempted to slink down to the carpeted floor of the Mercedes. "You only do this if you're in the mood to make me freak. What do you want?"

"Admit you're short, that's all. If you say it, we'll turn back around." Envy ordered smugly.

Ed gave him yet another glare through his fingers. "I don't think so. In three months, we'll be Sophomores. I've still got a few growth spurts left."

Envy sighed in exasperation, grinning even wider than before. "We're heading towards the _laaake…_" he sang.

"Fine, _fine, _I AM HEIGHT CHALLENGED. Now get steering, _and _use the brakes."

Envy's mischievous grin remained on his face. "I knew you'd see things my way, O _Chibi-san._"

Ed couldn't help but smile a little as the Mercedes made a U-turn back up the slope. "You're studying for that Japanese 101 course, aren't you?" he asked slyly.

"Well, how else can I watch _Hellsing _without the subtitles? The stupid stores don't sell them subbed anymore, it's crazy!" Envy ranted, keeping his eyes on the road.

Ed grinned and patted Envy's shoulder as they passed a few trees. "Why don't we turn on the radio to get this troubling, climactic dilemma off of your mind?"

Envy shrugged and grinned in return. "All right. Let's see…107.8 'The Tiger'…" he muttered, cranking the radio dial to the correct station. At once, "Get This Party Started" by _PINK _blared from the speakers.

_I__'m comin' up so you better get this party started _

_I'm comin' up so you better get this party started _

"Well, whaddya know, Envy, it's your theme song!" Ed laughed.

Envy pretended to preen himself, saying in a arrogant way "Yes, I know I'm awesome." Both boys began to laugh, and sang along to the lyrics:

_Get this party started on a Saturday night _

_Everybody's waitin' for me to arrive _

_Sendin' out the message to all of my friends _

_We'll be lookin' flashy in my Mercedes Benz _

"Hell yeah we will!" Ed laughed, pumping his fist in the air.

Envy smirked, and said "Actually, I was thinking of a limo or helicopter this year…at least for the first party of the school year."

_I got lotsa style, check my gold diamond rings _

_I can go for miles if you know what I mean_

_I'm comin' up so you better get this party started _

_I'm comin' up so you better get this party started _

_Pumpin up the volume, breakin' down to the beat _

_Cruisin' through the west side _

_We'll be checkin' the scene_

The Mercedes passed the small shops that lined Central City's outer area. Ed smiled fondly at the little shops, remembering how he and Al had spent all their allowances on just sweets when they were little. Things had definitely changed….

_Boulevard is freakin' as I'm comin' up fast _

_I'll be burnin' rubber, you'll be kissin' my… _

Envy smirked widely, remembering past Saturday night parties. Yes, there had been a few brown-nosers that one time with the "Red Carpet Theme"…

_Pull up to the bumper, get out of the car _

_License plate says Stunner #1 Superstar _

_I'm comin' up so you better get this party started _

_I'm comin' up so you better get this party started_

Envy opened the windows of the car, and turned up the stereo, making the music blast out to the pedestrians walking along. At least fifteen teenaged girls jumped up and down in excitement and recognition at the sight of Envy, the thrower of the coolest teen-only parties in Central. No drugs allowed, naturally. The year before, at the Halloween party, someone had smuggled heroin in, but Envy had made sure that he and Ed showed the punk the way out… No one ever dared bring anything illegal after that.

_I'm comin' up so you better get this party started _

_I'm comin' up so you better get this party started_

"So, do you plan on inviting anyone in particular to the September party?" Ed asked, folding his arms behind his head.

Envy shrugged. "Well, I'll obviously invite you and the others…and maybe a few of the outcasts, as well as the Goths, jocks, and their cheerleader girlfriends." He made a face. "It's not like they're all bad—Winry's on the squad, if I remember correctly—but sometimes it just seems too…_natural. _I don't know, maybe it's just that the jock's egos get as big as their biceps when they have girls clinging to them."

Ed smirked. "You mean like Roy?"

Envy smirked in return. "Well, he has Riza. She'll shoot anyone who tries to make a move on him. Remember that Barbie-wannabe girl from eighth grade?"

Ed chuckled. "I heard she still has the bruise marks…"

_I'm comin' up so you better get this party started _

_Get this party started _

_Makin' my connection as I enter the room _

_Everybody's chillin' as I set up the groove _

The Mercedes passed a few restaurants and bookstores, stopping at the traffic light obediently. Envy sang quietly along to the song, tapping his fingers impatiently as he did so.

_Pumpin' up the volume with this brand new beat _

_Everybody's dancin' and their dancin' for me _

_I'm your operator, you can call anytime _

_I'll be your connection to the party line _

"_Thank you,_" Envy said loudly as the light finally changed from red to green.

Ed yawned. "I haven't had breakfast yet. What did you have, anyway?"

"Um…a waffle?" Envy said evasively as he turned toward the western area of the city, where the mall was located.

_I'm comin' up so you better get this party started _

_I'm comin' up so you better get this party started_

"How _many _waffles?" Ed asked sternly.

Envy grinned sheepishly. "Five. And all of them different flavors."

"I'll bet they were served on a silver platter, too." Ed rolled his eyes.

"Nope. Gold."

Ed sighed.

_Get this party started _

_Get this party started right now _

_Get this party started_

_Get this party started right n—_

Envy switched off the radio, and screeched to a stop. "We're here: Central Mall. The best place for buying what you don't need." he snickered.

Ed hopped out of the Mercedes, and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Hmm…" He pulled out a few crumpled bills. "10 dollars, and one extra bill. That'll buy me a CD, or a novel."

Envy grinned. "Why don't you let me buy stuff for you?"

Ed sighed. "Because one: Mom doesn't like it when you do that, and two: I feel guilty when you do."

Envy's grin faltered, then realigned itself. "Ohhh, you think I'm going to get in trouble with _Her _if I do that. Well, I'll tell you this: the rule around my house is 'Be charitable because it pays off'. And no, that's not a morally-good rule. _Mommy dearest_"—Envy spat the words out like they were poison—"is a totally self-centered _hag. _The only good thing about her is she lets me do almost whatever I want."

Ed stared at Envy is surprise. "All…right then." he managed to say.

Envy shrugged, and turned towards the huge, shining mall. "So, where to ?" he asked cheerfully, "Hot Topic? Barnes and Noble?"

Ed's stomach growled loudly.

Envy grinned. "Or, we could go to the Food Court."

Ed laughed "Sounds good to me."

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"…Of course, Mom won't be happy when she finds out I'm eating Chinese for breakfast."

"Oh, c'mon. See this?" Envy speared a little corncob with his plastic fork and dangled it in front of Ed's face. "This is _healthy. _It's full of Vitamin G, F and U."

Ed looked at Envy with a grin that said "You-don't-expect-me-to-believe-that". "Never heard of _those _vitamins before."

Envy smirked sardonically. "It's 'G, F and U' for 'Good For You'. I figured you'd get it." And with that, he popped the corn into his mouth. He made a little noise of satisfaction.

Ed helped himself to more rice and chicken teriyaki. He watched Envy's eyes rove across the mall area, either searching for the rest of their group or on the lookout for a _certain party that could not be mentioned._ The colossal building was packed with people, from chatting teenagers to adults comparing prices. Lights shone brightly, illuminating the area fully. A few benches and wishing-wells dotted the mall, allowing people to sit and rest whenever they wished. Naturally, shops lined the walls, flashing their names in bright lights.

Ed smiled. If not for his friends, he probably would never have even known the mall existed.

"What're you thinking about?" Envy asked curiously, delicately eating a noodle.

Ed's cheeks flushed slightly. "Oh, nothing. How's the lo mei?" he hurriedly questioned.

"Hmm. Greasy, and good. A hint of sugar on the corn…but mostly greasy."

Envy's eyes continued to search for the other friends. Finally, the remained fixed on a blonde-haired girl in a jean-skirt and a white tank top. Her eyes were a beautiful sky blue, and she seemed to be developing a tan.

"Winry! Hey, Winry!" Ed called, waving his arm in greeting.

The girl Winry ran up to their small table eagerly, her ponytail almost floating behind her. She smiled warmly, with her hands on her hips.

"Hey, Ed, Envy. I'm not surprised to see you two here. Lust and Sloth are around somewhere—I think they're either a Macy's or Hot Topic." she said happily, watching them eat.

"Want some?" Ed asked, gesturing to some of the other uneaten boxes.

"No, thanks. I had breakfast already." Winry smiled politely.

Envy shrugged and grinned, slyly pushing a piece of broccoli to one side of his plate. "So, how goes the 'automail project'?" he asked curiously.

Winry's eyes gleamed and she sat down eagerly. "Well, Granny and I have encountered a few technical problems…but I think by next Friday we're good to go!" she explained happily.

Ed smiled sadly, and gazed at his right arm. "I can't wait," he said slowly.

All at once, both Envy and Winry's hands were clapped on his shoulder. He looked up quickly at his two friends, who were gazing at him intently.

"Don't get down about _this_, Ed. You're barely going to know the difference, trust me!" Her smile was reassuring, and determined.

"Yeah, and it'll be just like all those other surgeries, only easier!" Envy added with a confident smirk.

Ed stared at his friends, and slowly began to achieve his own confident look. "Yeah, it'll be much easier. Thanks, guys." he grinned.

With friends like Envy and the others, it was natural that the summer would be full of entertainment, and the school year far more exciting than Ed wished.

He almost wished September would arrive early.


	2. Chapter 1:

Disclaimer: I don't own FMA.

Chapter One: First Day

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"_Heyyy all you folks out in Central City! Today's September the 5__th__, and you know what that means, kids—IT'S TIME TO GET YOUR FANNIES BACK TO SCHOOL! That's right, and Station 107.8 (The Tiger) is here to get you all up and tapping your feet with the latest hit by—_"

**SLAM.**

Ed smashed his prosthetic fist into his radio clock, his arm the only thing visible from the mountain of blankets that covered him. He yawned and shoved four or five of the quilts off him, scratching his bare chest sleepily as he tumbled out of bed. That's right—today was his first day of Sophomore year. Ed smirked to himself, and groped around for his red baseball shirt. He knew he'd left it on the floor somewhere…

"_Konichiwa Edo-kuuuuun_!"

Without warning, a pale, green-haired face swung in front of Ed's vision. The deviously grinning boy dangled from the sunny window in front of his bed, one hand behind his head. The other, however, was keeping hold of…

"Envy," Ed managed to gasp out, trying hard not to either laugh or scream, "I know you've worn some…er, _interesting _outfits over the years, but _this _is just weird."

Envy was wearing a sailor fuku—the type of uniform worn by high school girls in Japan. It was a dark blue skirt, with a white sailor blouse and a red kerchief tied into the collar. He clutched the skirt tightly—it reached his knees, and would have easily flashed the passing cars below them if he had simply let it flap freely—and let his lips curl into a mock-innocent smile. His thigh-length hair was tied in a ponytail, with a white ribbon for effect.

"What do you mean by 'weird', Pipsqueak? I wear stuff like this all the time." Envy laughed, dropping himself from the roof with his feet to the carpeted floor. He brushed off his clothes and sat down beside Ed on his quilted bed.

"So, I'm guessing you got that course on Japanese?" Ed asked with a grin.

"Naturally. Sometimes it's good to have influence."

Ed rolled his eyes, and hopped off the bed. "I have to take a shower. Mom's cooking breakfast downstairs."

Envy smirked, and padded out the door and down the stairs. Ed wondered if he actually planned on going to school in that outfit. It wouldn't surprise too many people—the freshmen, maybe—but then again, Envy loved making a scene. It was a curse and sometimes a blessing, particularly when Ed was in an uncomfortable situation.

Without further delay, Ed plodded over to the bathroom, conscious of Al's soft rustling in his room—he had probably heard Envy come in. He began to move more quickly, marching into the tiny bathroom and slamming the door. After changing out of his boxers, jumping into the shower and washing his hair at lightning speed, Ed leaped out of the shower and hurriedly put his baseball shirt and leather pants. With a little more patience he tied his hair into a braid.

"I'm coming down!" Ed yelled, galumphing down the stairs noisily.

"Hurry, Ed, you're brother's already finished his eggs!" Trisha Elric called from the kitchen.

Spinning around on his heels, Ed jogged past the living room and the blaring TV, entering the kitchen. There Envy stood helping Trisha with the dishes, drying them off and placing them gently into the small cabinet. He was only this helpful with Trisha—she was a surrogate mother to him.

Ed noted that the sailor fuku Envy had been previously wearing had been replaced with his usual black cropped top and mini-skirt. Al was busy checking over his textbooks, trying to figure out if he had all the ones he needed.

"'Morning Mom, Al, Envy." Ed said with a grin, flopping down in the nearest chairat the small round table used for meals by the family. His mouth watered as he stared down at his plate. "Mmm, _eggs…_"

Envy smirked and sat down beside Ed fiddling with his duffel bag--Ed could see a small bit of blue cloth protruding from the opening—and slithered his black headband onto his head. After five minutes of Ed's eating, Envy whisked the plate away, thanked Trisha politely, and grabbed both Al and Ed by their hands and charged out the door. Ed barely managed to yank on his red cloak as they went.

"We're gonna be _laaaate_!" Envy roared, dashing over to his Mercedes with his strong, lanky legs.

"What about my bag?!" Ed screamed back, while Al giggled beside him.

"It's already in the car, Brother. Envy came prepared." Al replied with his gentle smile.

The door of the Mercedes was whisked open, and Ed immediately took the shotgun position, while Al hopped in the back. Envy turned the ignition and revved the engine (a sick wheeze was heard), and they were off to their first day of school.

"Hey, Envy?"

Envy turned his head slightly, keeping his eyes on the road. "Yes?"

"Um…is there _supposed _to be someone else in here?" Al's voice sounded slightly panicked.

Envy laughed. "Wrath, introduce yourself. You're scaring your fellow freshman."

A small, innocent voice piped up from the backseat. "Hi…I'm Wrath…um, what's your name?"

"I'm Alphonse Elric, but you can call me Al if you want." Al replied with equal shyness.

"Okay, Al." Wrath's voice seemed a bit more confident now. "Look, Envy! I have a friend!" he said with glee.

Envy grinned into the rearview mirror. "Congrats."

Ed distinctly remembered Wrath, the little boy whom he had met for the first time during the Summer that he and Envy had become friends. Ever since meeting him—and after the terrible accident with his right arm—Wrath had wanted to become just like Edward. He idolized him. Envy had once told Ed in a joking manner that Wrath had built a small shrine in his hall closet dedicated to him. Ed didn't know if it were true, but what he _did _know was that Wrath had needed surgery a few months after Ed did, and received his arm as a replacement for the former loss. It was supposedly some sort of cancer, one that, in a few years, would completely take over Wrath's nervous system. However, with Ed's arm (and radiation treatment) Wrath was cured in ten months, and thus Wrath lived happily…with his idol's arm a part of him.

"So, Wrath, how's our arm?" Ed joked.

Wrath giggled. "It's doing great, Edward. I've been making sure it gets exercised every day, and I've taken a bath every day since I got it."

Ed and Wrath always referred to Wrath's arm as "our arm", since it belonged to them both, and it also gave both of them satisfaction—Ed had saved his life without even realizing it, and Wrath had the right arm of _his hero _attached to him.

Al sighed, and began to rummage through his backpack. Quietly, he pulled out a book and began to read, mumbling under his breath. Ed could hear Wrath leaning over to see what the book was about. He smiled as he heard a quiet "Ooh" and the sounds of Al laughing as Wrath attempted to get a closer look.

"Is that a real brain?"

"I guess so. Don't you have a copy?"

"Which book is it?"

"Biology, for grade nine."

More rummaging was heard. There was silence in the car for a good ten minutes, and then a chorus of "Woooow" was heard from the back. Envy cackled, and reached around his seat for Wrath's book.

"I want to see! It must be the female reproduction system, right? Or are you at the tarantula picture?"

Wrath chuckled, and the sounds of two textbooks being passed from one hand to the other were heard.

"It's the tarantula! And Al's looking a bit green, Envy. I think you should turn back around and look at the road."

Envy turned around, mock-pouting as he did so. "Mean old freshman."

Ed laughed, but turned around to look at Al. His brother _was _a bit green, but it looked as though it was passing. As usual, Al wore practical clothing—a gray turtleneck and a pair of jeans, with sneakers. Al seemed to be the only person in the car who was nervous and logical. At times, it was a good thing, but on some days Ed almost wished Al was more irresponsible. He knew Envy did—Envy was the leader of their small gang because of his _certain_ ways—but would never say it out loud.

To Envy, Ed and his family were one of many lifelines. They had never once told him to change his ways. Instead, they helped him through difficult times—the days when the temptation of drugs was becoming more pronounced in his life, and when he was struggling through 6th grade—and were patient with him. Envy had other means of support, of course: Riza Hawkeye, Winry, Sloth and Lust, as well as Roy, but the Elric family was and always would be his escape from fantasy.

"We're here, troops! Time to get out!" Envy called cheerfully, slamming on the brakes.

Instantly, the four boys hopped out of the Mercedes, and gazed upon their school, two of them for the first time. Ed and Envy looked at it with knowing stares (with a hint of loathing, since school meant homework), while Al and Wrath stared enraptured by the simple fact that _they were going to be at this high school. _

The buildings were white and rectangular, connected to form one giant complex. Windows lined the buildings all around, and in the area where the cafeteria was there were giant sheets of glass that separated the students from the outside world, but gave them a clear view of the sun. The tall iron doors in the center of the main building beckoned students forth like a sour apple, inviting and yet sour.

"Is this really _it_? _Central High_?!" Wrath blurted out, his voice filled with wonder.

Ed turned around and grinned. "Yep, this is—" he halted mid-sentence. "Wrath, are you wearing what I _think _you're wearing?!" he gasped.

Wrath grinned in a slightly-feral way and nodded. He showed off his bright-red cloak with the black Flamel embroidered on it, the sleeved nearly swallowing his arms. He also wore a pair of leather pants, and sneakers. Aside from the black shirt that had the logo for _RENT _emblazoned on it, Wrath's attire was nearly identical to Ed's.

"D'you like it? Mommy helped me make it!" he said innocently, spinning around in a circle.

Ed blinked for a minute, then a knowing light came into his eyes. "Oh. You mean Sloth, right?"

Wrath nodded, and went back to showing off his cloak. Ed never did understand why Wrath called Sloth "Mommy", but then again, Sloth did look very similar to his own mother… He sighed and smiled. Here was yet another example of hero-worship.

"Well, at least your hair isn't in a braid!" Ed laughed, ruffling Wrath's long, raven-black wild hair that never seemed to be completely untangled.

Wrath cocked his head to one side. "Well, I tried to make my hair into a braid, but it wouldn't co-operate. And Envy was screaming at me to get into the car before _She _woke up." He hissed the word "she" like it was some sort of demonic plague.

Envy cleared his throat. "We'd better get inside. The bell rings in fifteen minutes." he said casually.

With that, the foursome shuffled up the large, concrete steps and into the school, with people cheering or staring at them as they went. Al and Wrath looked nervous, while Envy basked in the glory and Ed just ignored it all.

As soon as the doors closed behind them, Envy cleared his throat, straightened out the imagined wrinkles in his top and skort, and strutted towards the center of the huge "main area" that housed the students before class. Ed followed behind him silently, grinning a little as a few girls and boys cheered "Yeah! Go Ed!" and some Junior girls wolf-whistled.

But it was Envy who got the most powerful response. There was cheering, clapping, whispers and jeers from all sides. Envy held his head high, letting it wash through him. He made his way up one of the staircases that lead to a large area before yet another staircase, Ed following behind him. He stopped, turned on his heel, and spread his arms so that his body was in the shape of a sagging "T". Ed stood at his side, his hands in his pockets and a confident smile on his face. Then, Envy grinned winningly, and yelled for the whole school to hear:

"Hey, everyone, we're _back in town_!"

Instantly, every single student—be they Freshmen or Senior—burst into cheers and screams, clapping wildly and stamping their feet. Wolf-whistles broke out from every corner of the main area, and several people threw their hats in the air. Wrath and Al joined the throng, jumping up and down with glee—these were _their brothers. _From the sidelines, a few figures stirred.

Envy placed his index finger to his lips, and the room quieted. "Of course, by 'we', I mean my friends and myself…" he said charmingly, with suavity leaking from his every pore. "Many of you know them already, but for the sake of the newbies, I'll introduce them."

Envy cleared his throat, and began.

"Of course, the _short _blonde kid beside me is my long-time friend Edward Elric, also known as Shrimp, _Edo-kun,_ Pipsqueak, _Chibi, _Shortyand, naturally, Ed. Give a wave, Pipsqueak!"

Ed glared at Envy ("Don't call me short!") and waved exuberantly to the cheering (and laughing) crowd.

"Next, is the gorgeous young woman who is my lovely girlfriend, Lust, also known as 'The Ultimate Lance'. You'll know what I mean when you see her at the tournament next Thursday. Give it up!"

Lust slowly walked out of the crowd with graceful steps to match Envy's. As she ascended the stairs, cheering and boos erupted from the crowd. She stood beside Envy, kissed him on the cheek, and stepped back a few paces to face the crowd. As usual, she wore a slinky black dress that went down to her knees, with black leather boots that enveloped her knees.

"Let's not forget Lust's best friend and confidant, the ironically workaholic _Sloth_! She's also known as…well…Sloth…"

The crowd laughed and clapped as Sloth, in contrast to her name, quickly marched up the steps, a serene smile on her face. She stood at Lust's side, as calm and composed as water flowing over a rock. Her attire was a simple and comfortable sage-green turtleneck and jeans.

"Next on the list: he's on the football team, he's got savoir faire, he's tall, part Asian, and loves candlelight dinners—did I mention he's as hot as the flames he loves so much? Yes, ladies, it's the one, the only—"

"ROY MUSTANG!" all of the girls squealed in unison, waving their hands in the air.

Roy Mustang strutted out, politely pushing his way through the crowd. Behind him, a blonde-haired girl glared at each of the girls with a look that said "don't mess with him, he's mine" as clear as a shotgun. She waited patiently for Roy to make his way up the stairs.

Roy bowed handsomely to the crowd as the girls continued squealing, and stood beside Ed. His football jersey seemed to hug his chest a little more than usual—he had obviously grown over the summer.

"Of course…we can't forget our favorite pimp-in-training…" Envy rolled his eyes and made a face while the crowd laughed.

"Yes, guys, he's back for Junior year, surprisingly enough. He's bad, he's 'devilishly handsome', as he puts it, wants _everything _the world has to offer, has a strange sunglasses and leather fetish, and likes women. Give it up for: _Greed, _the 'Ultimate Shield and Moron'!"

Greed shuffled through the crowd with his hands in his pockets and a toothy smirk on his face. At least 60 girls and boys cheered and clapped wildly for him, though most people simply whispered and stared. Like Envy, Greed just let it wash over him. He too had managed a growth spurt over the summer, and nearly hit his head on the low ceiling as he passed under the awning that lead to the library. He loped up the steps with ease, and attempted to give Envy a pat on the back—but was intercepted by Envy's headlock.

"Good to have you back, Greed." Envy smirked to roars of laughter and applause.

"Same with you, palm tree." Greed retorted coolly.

As the crowd doubled over with laughter—as did the rest of Envy's gang—Envy stared out at the audience with mock-sadness. His eyes welled up with fake tears, and he bit his lip sorrowfully.

"…_Palm twee_?" Envy stage-whispered in a baby voice. He shook. "_Palm twee_?!"

The crowd "awwed" in sympathy.

"But…but I _like _my hair this way! I'm not a palm twee, am I? Am I?"

"_Noooo…" _the crowd yelled in unison.

Envy wiped away his tears. "Are you sure? I can't hear you…am I a palm tree?" he asked in his usual voice, a mischievous grin on his face.

"NOOOOOO!" the crowd screamed, making a few ceiling lights shake dangerously.

Envy turned to Greed in triumph. "See? _See_? I've got the people on my side!"

Greed grinned. "Yeah, but I have a fan club." He turned to the masses. "Right, O 'Leather Legions'?!"

The same girls and boys from before cheered and clapped wildly, throwing their sunglasses and leather vests into the air.

Envy shrugged. "Well, you're my DJ. I can't argue with that logic. But"—his voice dropped to a stage-whisper again—"I'll see _you _after lunch."

The crowd laughed and clapped wildly as Greed shrugged in return and stood beside Ed and Roy.

Envy cleared his throat and continued.

"Right. Now, since we're running out of time—sorry girls—we're going to have to introduce our last (but not least) members of our little circle at lightning speed. They're the other ladies of our group: Winry Rockbell, the best mechanic in the district (and best female friend to Ed), as well as Riza Hawkeye, Roy's girl_ff_—I mean, bodyguard. Give it up!"

Cheers from both boys and girls were heard as the remaining members of the group jogged up the stairs. Winry wore a blue polo shirt and jeans with her hair tied back in a ponytail as usual. She smiled and waved happily at the crowd while Riza simply bowed in acknowledgement.

As soon as the two stood beside Ed and Roy, the bell rang obnoxiously.

"Well, ladies and germs, I'm sorry to say that we're out of time! However, you'll see us at lunch or at our annual Friday party, _riiiiight?_" Envy asked with a winning smile on his face.

"RIGHT!" the crowd roared in response.

With that, Envy and his group quickly disappeared into the hustle and bustle of the crowd, leaving the other students wondering if they had simply evaporated into thin air. After a brief pause, the students began to walk to their first class, their hearts brought back to the bland texture of reality.


	3. Chapter 2

-------------------------------------------------------------

Wrath and Alphonse met up with Ed and the rest in the library a few minutes after the bell.

This was the best area in the school for the group to meet—most of them (except Greed) were either mild or "severe" bookworms—Ed was the one who read the most—and they could each take out a few books while the schedules were looked over. Which was exactly what was happening at that time.

Greed ruffled Al's hair as the two Freshmen came into view. "Hey, tiger. Did you get your schedule yet?" He'd always had a soft spot for the younger Elric brother.

"Yes. I've got…Mr. Cornello for History, and someone named Mr. Marco for Science. Then there's Ms. Ross for Reading and Writing…and I think Mr. Brosh for Math. And someone named Mrs. Curtis for Gym." he replied, squinting at the small paper.

The group winced at the mention of Mrs. Curtis and Cornello.

"You poor, poor soul. I remember Cornello. He's a half-wit and a lowlife, as well as a fraud. I recommend reading the textbook instead of listening to him." Envy said with a sympathetic look.

Wrath glanced at his paper. "Hmm. I've got almost the same classes as you, Al! But I've got some guy named Mr. Tringham for Science."

Again, there was more wincing. "Russell's dad." Ed grumbled. "Dang, he's going to be bragging again."

Greed ruffled Al's hair again and patted Wrath on the back, shouldering his book bag. "Gotta get to Science. See ya." he called as he jogged out the Library.

Envy turned to Riza, who was looking impatient. "What's wrong, Riza?"

Riza ground out the word "Mustang" and pointed to one of the bookshelves.

Instinctively, each of the group members turned to the bookshelf, their expressions a cocktail of either trying-not-to-laugh or trying-to-keep-calm. The girls were of the second category. Soon, the familiar sound of smooth-talking was heard:

"Yes, I've read a lot of Kurt Vonnegut's works…particularly _Slaughterhouse Five._ It's a powerful book, I recommend it…"

"Oh, I'll definitely read it…Roy, your eyes are so _full of emotion _when you talk like that…" a girl cooed.

"Really? That's the first time anyone's every said that to me, Louise. You're a wonderful girl. You're so charming, full of life, innocent…" Roy began, making his voice softer and more intimate.

"Oh, Roy, you're making me blush!" the girl giggled.

"…You're even cuter when you do that, you know…"

Envy smirked, and leaned casually against a chair. "I'm enjoying this."

"…And that miniskirt is absolutely _delightful_! I didn't know they made some with rainbow frills…"

Another giggle. "Oh, I wore it just for you! I know how much miniskirts mean to you, so…"

Riza quietly snuck into a bookshelf not to far away from where Roy and Louise were flirting. Envy and the seasoned friends chuckled in a knowing manner, while Al and Wrath felt a little worried for the other Junior in the group, besides Greed and Riza.

"Well, I believe you have just jumped a few notches on my 'Potential Girlfriends' list! Congratulations, baby."

"Oh, _Roy_! _Really_?!" Louise's voice grew higher in volume and pitch.

"Of cour—oh, _God, GET DOWN_!"

**THWUMP. THWACK, THWACK, BOOM.**

Louise ran squealing like a stuck pig out of the Library, her thigh-length miniskirt flashing everyone in the area as she ran, her painted mouth opened wide in a scream. Sounds of violence were heard from the bookshelf, much to the librarian's displeasure.

"No violence or loud noises in here, children! OUT!" the librarian screeched, her homely face suddenly transformed into something akin to The Wicked Witch of the West.

Riza presently dragged Roy out of the bookshelves by the arm, bowing politely and exiting out the door. Roy groaned loudly as the door closed behind them.

"Whoa. How many bruises was _that_?" Ed asked in awe.

"Six." Sloth answered with a hint of amusement. Lust chuckled darkly at her side.

Envy rolled his eyes at the bell ringing overhead. "I've got Geometry first class. Does anybody else?"

Winry smiled and nodded. "If you mean Mr. Gran, then yes!"

Lust shook her head. "Sorry, Envy. I have French." she said softly.

Sloth knew she also had Geometry, and shouldered her book bag expectantly.

Ed glanced at his schedule and scowled. Cornello was teaching History for Sophmore's too?! He'd have a migraine for a month! Ever since that day when he stood up in class and proclaimed him a fraud ("Well, everyone was _thinkin' _it!"), Cornello had dubbed him a heretic and gave him a hard time for the rest of the year. Everyone secretly thought he was a obsessed, overly-religious freak, but nobody wanted to say _that _to him, except Envy. But then, Envy was a special case.

"Mr. 'Father' Cornello for me." he muttered sullenly. His friends replied with sympathetic noises.

Al blinked. "Brother, Wrath and I have Ms. Ross next door to his class…maybe you can walk us there?" he asked hopefully.

Ed grinned. "Sure, Al."

And so the group separated, promising to meet up at lunch.

---------------------------------------------------------------

"So, class. Most of you must already know me as Mr. Cornello, your history teacher. Last year we had a few problems"—Cornello's piggy eyes glared meaningfully at Ed—"but I'm sure they have sorted out over the summer. And remember, the Sun God Leto illuminates your path to knowledge…"

Ed smirked from behind his textbook as a girl called out "Sir, that's against the laws of public schools" loudly from the back row. (Score one for the students!)

"Detention, Ms. Paninya. I expected more of you…" Cornello retorted smugly.

"But…but…" Paninya gasped, her dark skin paling to a dark-yellow color.

"No 'buts', Ms. Paninya."

Ed sighed, realizing that this was going to be a horrific hour. Lazily, he flipped the textbooks, coming to a stop on the Salem Witch Trials. He had heard from Greed that Cornello would be covering that subject from September to the middle of November…might as well get started now…

Then he felt his cellphone vibrate. _I was wondering when he'd text…_ Ed thought with a small smile.

Cautiously, he looked up at Cornello, and found that him getting too wrapped up in his usual monologues. Carefully, he opened up his silver phone and read Envy's message:

**Party Palmtree: **How goes things, heretic? Geometry is dull, of course.

**NotAShrimp: **Cornello's monologue-ing. He just gave a detention to Paninya.

**Party Palmtree: **Called you a heretic yet? Or an Enemy of Leto?

**NotAShrimp: **I wouldn't have cared enough to remember.

**Party Palmtree: **lol

**Party Palmtree: **True, true.

**Party Palmtree: **Sloth and Winry are being angels, speaking of.

**NotAShrimp: **How so? Are they flying around and being nice to the teacher?

**Party Palmtree: **no

**Party Palmtree: **They're pelting the teacher with Q and A's so I can be a lazy ---

Ed rolled his eyes skyward. He figured they were just doing what any student would do on the first day—ask their teachers what they'll be studying throughout the year, how hard the tests would be, and other things. Too bad he didn't have that sort of leisure with Cornello…

**NotAShrimp: ** :( Oh, yes, fantastic plan.

**Party Palmtree: **At let I'm not in Corny's class.

**Party Palmtree: **least

**NotAShrimp: **Moot point

Quickly, Ed glanced up at Cornello, who was finishing his monologue five minutes early. _He must be on to me. _he thought in slight panic.

Ed glanced down at his cell phone and saw that Envy had not yet replied. With panic beginning to claw at his throat, his fingers flashed across the buttons, jumbling his words together:

**NotAShrimp: **GottagoCorny'sfinshingearly1!

**NotAShrimp: **finishing

**Party Palmtree: **okay

**Palm Tree: **Party Plan at lunch

**Party Palmtree: **cya

**NotAShrimp: **OK bye

Ed shut off his cell phone at the exact point that Cornello began walking towards him. He jammed the phone into his pocket and waited for the usual discussion to arise. Prepared for the worst, Ed folded his arms and waited for Cornello to make the first move.

Cornello smirked nastily. "Were you talking to someone?"

"No. I was listening to your mono—I mean, speech the whole time." Ed semi-lied casually. After all, he _had _been listening, but this was the same speech as last year. He had learned it by heart after three months of it before every class.

"Remember, child, Leto condemns those who lie. Now, tell me the truth."

Ed began to think that he'd be in for a detention alongside Paninya, if he kept this up. Now, what would placate the old geezer? Maybe a speech that he had changed his "sinful" ways and became a follower of Leto?

_No way, _Ed thought. _I'm not _that _desperate. _

Perhaps he should just take the detention as it came? He _had _been disrespecting a teacher by not paying attention and doing something else… Ed thought about this idea for a few seconds. It seemed sound enough…

**RRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIING…!**

Cornello sighed in defeat. "Class is over, children. And remember, Leto will guide you…"

Ed was out the door before he had to endure any more grand speeches.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When lunch finally arrived, Ed found that the usual lunch table had been taken over by a pile of papers with Envy's cramped writing lining them from top to bottom.

"Sooo, these are the plans?" he asked with a knowing grin at Envy, who sat doodling a anime character.

"Yep. Everyone's getting their lunch. What're you having?" Envy frowned in concentration as he painstakingly colored in the character's eyebrows with a charcoal pencil.

"Hmm…I guess I'll have a burger…nah, maybe just some salad…" Ed mused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

Envy grinned, and looked up at Ed through his bangs. "They have _piiie…_" he sang.

Ed's eyes opened wide, and he let out a roar of "PIEEEEEE!!!!" that echoed all across the large cafeteria. Laughing maniacally, he raced towards the large line of gaping people.

Laughing, Envy scoured the circular room for Wrath and Al. _Maybe they're at a different lunch…_ he thought. Riffling through his book bag, he discovered that one of the cooks had generously packed a batch of peanut butter cookies into his lunch bag.

"Lucky—!" he sang, raising his arms in the air with glee.

With that, Lust slinked over to the round table and sat next to Envy, a dark eyebrow raised. "What _are _you so happy about?" she asked curiously.

Envy grinned, and gave Lust a quick kiss on the cheek. "One of my cooks brought along a batch of my favorite cookies." he explained, holding the Ziploc bag in front of Lust's face and shaking it.

Lust laughed quietly. "You're going to have a hard time keeping those away from Edward."

Envy shrugged. "Of course I'm going to share it with everybody who wants one."

Sloth quietly emerged behind Envy, and took a seat next to Lust. "Greed will probably want five or more, you know." She chuckled.

Envy rolled his eyes. "Well, everyone's going to get an equal share, _even _Greed."

Winry, Roy and Riza meandered over to the table, with pastel-colored trays in their hands. They sat down in their usual seats, chatting and laughing animatedly. Ed had still not appeared, nor had Greed. Still, they were patient—the lines _did _stretch nearly to the cafeteria doors, after all.

Soon, Greed ambled along carrying a tray filled with every fried food available. With his usual toothy smirk, he sat down beside Sloth and took a long swig from an unidentified bottle. Suspicions immediately rose.

"Greed, are you drinking in a public _school _again?" Winry asked irritably.

Greed rolled his eyes. "Yeah. So?"

"Greed. You _know _that's against the rules."

"So what, Hawkeye?"

"So you could be expel—"

"_Who gives a ----_?! _Not me!_"

Roy cocked an eyebrow. "My Dad's boss Mr. Weatherby wouldn't like to hear of an underage kid drinking."

Greed ground his teeth. "Did it ever occur to you idiots that I might be _joking_?!"

Everyone remembered vividly that since Middle School Greed had gone binge-drinking, skipping classes, and done other things that gave him a bad reputation. It had taken Al to straighten him out in the end, but no one knew how bad Greed's addiction really was.

Silence blanketed the table for a moment. Greed continued to chug from his bottle, while the others simply glared at him or pondered over the possibilities.

As usual, Envy decided to get the truth out.

Envy snatched the bottle out of Greed's hands, attempting not to splash the liquid inside on the others. He gazed into the bottle, narrowing his eyes. He shook the bottle lightly, then sighed with relief.

"Water."

The group sighed with relief, and went back to their meals.

"Did Greed pull everyone's leg again?" Ed asked casually, sitting down beside Envy.

Envy nodded, and tapped a plastic spoon against the table for order. Instantly the table became as silent as the grave, impatient for the Party Plans.

"(ahem) As you all know," Envy began in a solemn British Prince voice, "we are gathered here to-day for a ancient ritual of the highest stature…"

In between chuckles, Roy finally managed a passing imitation of the army from _Monty Python and the Holy Grail_: "Get on with it!"

Envy grinned. "Okay, okay. So, here's the plan…"

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	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Party Night

-----------------------------------------------------

And so, with lightening quickness, Friday night arrived.

"…All right. So, costumes ready?" Envy asked with an expectant smile, turning to look at his group.

Lust smirked. "Yes." She admired herself in the mirror. "But why ice blue? It looks strange."

Envy smirked in return. "Ice blue usually resembles diamonds. It looks _fine. _If even _Greed _can pull the look off, so can you." he admonished passionately, playing with one of Lust's wavy locks of hair.

"Hey!" Greed yelled from his relaxed position at the pool table opposite Riza. "What do you mean 'even me'?!"

Riza rolled her eyes. "Let's not have any casualties before the party. As usual, we need everyone on the dance floor by 8 o' clock, and _everyone _plays a part." She glared at Greed pointedly.

Greed shrugged. "Right, right."

A moment later Ed emerged from the nearest dressing room with his hair tied in a ponytail, making him look quite a bit older and more mature. He admired the long white sleeves of his jacket with something that resembled relief—no one would see the newest automail prototype Winry had installed at the end of August.

"I'm ready. Winry said she's changing with Sloth." Ed smiled, with his arms loose at his sides.

Envy ruffled Ed's hair playfully. "You ready for another five-star performance, Pipsqueak?" he asked with a teasing smirk.

"WHO'RE YOU CALLING A MICRO-BEAN WHO CAN BARELY DANCE?!" Ed bellowed, flailing his arms.

Envy cackled. "Definitely not you. Let me rephrase that. 'Are you ready to perform and dance the night away, _Ed_'?"

Ed grinned and gave Envy the thumbs-up sign. "Hell yeah."

Roy strutted out of the velvet-curtained dressing room in a sleeveless vest and pants that looked as though they had been painted on. He looked surprisingly good in white. His steps were stiff and awkward.

"En…vy…I'm not sure this is the right outfit…" he ground out.

Envy grinned sheepishly. "Whoops. I think I gave you the wrong pair. Hang on a sec."

Rummaging through the large oak chest that was located in the middle of the dressing room, Envy tossed a new pair of pants at Roy. These were bigger and a bit looser. Gasping out his thanks, Roy raced back to his dressing room. Ed noted that Riza was finding the plush carpet floor _very _interesting…

Winry and Sloth appeared out of the farthest dressing rooms in near-identical attire. As stated above, they too wore ice-blue dresses. It was customary for the girls to have one color and the boys another (but with clothing in individual styles).

"Well, we're ready. And the props have all been set up. I think I can hear the kids—" Winry began, then stopped with a smile on her face.

From the large ballroom where the parties were hosted, the usual chorus was heard:

_We want a show! We want a show! We want a show! _

Envy smirked, and slipped on his jacket. "It's show time."

Ed gazed at the throng below him in wonder. This was an even larger crowd than usual—it looked as though even the seniors had come to join the fun. He smirked. Tonight's party was sure to be a success.

"I'm on." Lust announced, stepping quietly out the back door. Everyone smiled knowingly as they watched her go—the partygoers were in for a treat.

Envy and the others quietly snuck out the other door on their left, stealing into the shadows of the stage. Lust positioned herself facing the audience, sitting on a diamond-encrusted throne with her face hidden by her long, wavy hair.

Then, as stage-lights illuminated her position, she began to sing:

_The French are glad to die for love_

_They delight in fighting duels_

_But I prefer a man who lives…_

As she lifted her head, the lights came on in full, and she was revealed in her sparkling sequin-adorned dress. The crowd went wild, clapping and whistling as the jazzy nightclub music melted in with her husky voice.

_And gives expensive jewels…_

Lust leapt from the throne and began to shake her hips enticingly from side to side while the dress swayed with her. She slid her fingers through her hair and began to sing:

_A kiss on the hand_

_May be quite continental_

_But diamonds are a girl's best friend_

Ed and Winry danced onto the stage, with Ed kissing Winry's hand in a choreographed proposal. Winry instantly grabbed the diamond in Ed's hand and slid it onto her finger, looking haughty. Ed's white dinner jacket sparkled with the light of the sequins adorning his collar and the bottoms of his dance slacks.

_A kiss may be grand but it won't pay the rental_

_On your humble flat _

_Or help you feed your pussycat_

Riza and Roy spun onto the stage, with Roy carrying a stuffed cat in his arms while Riza lovingly stroked a diamond necklace that dangled around her own neck. Her dress was cut high on her right leg, revealing the curve of her hip (and dark-blue tights) to the world.

_Men grow cold as girls grow old_

_And we all lose our charms in the end_

Greed and Sloth waltzed onto the stage. Greed turned and walked away disdainfully while Sloth cried, her veil-covered shoulders shaking in her sleeveless scarf-like dress, the sequins glowing white from the bright lights. But then she looked at the diamonds on her fingers, and instantly stood up and walked away towards Roy, who welcomed her with open arms. The crowd laughed and cheered wildly.

_But square cut, or pear shaped_

_These rocks won't lose their shape_

As Lust sang "their shape" Envy danced onto the stage by himself, with an amazing pure-white jacket that flared violently at the bottom, with sequins dangling from the bottom and buttoned with diamond-shaped buttons up to his navel. His lower half was covered by tight white shorts. Each and every one of his fangirls (and boys) burst into cheers.

_Diamonds are a girl's best friend_

_Tiffanies!_

Lust spun around and tossed a diamond ring into the crowd. The teens swallowed it up greedily, their hands clutching for the ring.

_Cartier!_

Envy clasped Lust's hand and twirled her around, letting her land tango-style with her head flopped backward.

_'Cause we are living in a material world_

_And I am a material girl_

Lust spun out of Envy's hold and waved Ed and the other boys on stage over, smiling suggestively. Envy strutted in front of the stage, blowing kisses to the screaming groupies below.

_Come and get me, boys_

_Oh!_

On cue, a large tarpalin was elevated down from the ceiling, sparkling with diamonds and silk. Envy and Lust hopped inside, and were carried by the men down to the crowd by way of stairs, with Winry, Sloth and Riza as "bodyguards".

_Black star_

The tarpalin bearing Envy and Lust then handed to the audience, who carried it faithfully, cheering and whistling as they did. Envy leapt out of the tarpalin and invited a random girl to dance. To roars of applause Envy performed the tango with her, dipping her low to the ground. Those who were close enough heard "We'll dance again soon" pass Envy's lips in a smooth, purring tone. The girls nearby promptly swooned, including the lucky girl who danced with Envy.

_Roscor_

_Talk to me Harry Zidler!_

_Tell me all about it_

Lust exited the tarpalin back on the stage and was hidden by Ed and Winry. Roy and Riza and Greed and Sloth danced together in perfect symmetry to the jazzy music, tossing fake diamonds out to the crowd at intervals. Lust lay on the tarpalin watching them with a casual, queenly look on her face.

_There may come a time_

_When a lass needs a lawyer_

Envy managed to cartwheel back onto the stage, taking Lust by the hand and dangling a beautiful diamond necklace in her face, smirking seductively, and singing alongside her:

_**But diamonds are a girl's best friend**_

_Lust: _

_There may come a time_

_When a hard-boiled employer thinks you're…_

_**Awful nice**_

Envy jerked backward as Lust grabbed for the necklace, side-stepping behind her and entwining her hands in his.

_Lust:_

_But get that ice or else no dice_

_He's your guy when stocks are high_

_But beware when they start to descend_

On the word "descend" Envy dipped Lust suddenly and kissed her on the lips, letting her wrap her arms around his back. Winry, Sloth and Riza then began to sing:

_Oooo_

_Diamonds are a girl's best_

Ed, Roy and Greed held out their hands for their partners, who readily accepted them. They then began to dance into the audience, grabbing the attention of the crowd. Roy tossed out fake diamonds to the crowd, and momentarily abandoned Riza for Louise, whom he began to dance with, forgetting about Riza entirely. The Mustang Groupies cheered and wolf-whistled wildly, wishing that they were in her shoes.

_Diamonds are a girl's best_

_Diamonds are a girl's best_

Ed and Winry danced back to the stage, where Lust sat casually on her throne, with Envy perched on the hand. They bowed and curtsied regally before them, and stood off to the side while Roy and Riza did the same. When Greed and Sloth bowed and curtsied, the girls stood on either side of the throne (two to a side) and chorused:

_Friend_

Suddenly, the music stopped. Lust and Envy stared at each other for several seconds, seeming to calculate their next movements. Then, slowly, Envy snapped his fingers, making the music start again, and then Ed and Roy yanked down on silver tassles that hadn't been seen before, making a ice-blue silk curtain glide down in front of Envy and Lust. As soon as the curtain covered the throne, Lust whispered in a sultry tone than carried through the ballroom:

_Lust:_

_Let's make love_

The crowd went wild.

Only shadows could be seen from behind the curtain, in which Envy and Lust's faces were momentarily blended into one, then stepped apart. No sound could be heard behind the curtain, but they audience didn't care. Behind the curtain, Envy and Lust held a whispered conversation as they covered their microphones:

"So, Envy, who's 'the Prince's' choice tonight?" Lust asked, sliding her hand over Envy's shoulder.

Lust tilted her head back and sighed dramatically as Envy brushed his lips across her neck, then kissed her on the lips again, to thunderous applause.

"I picked that little girl who loves books so much, Sheska. She hasn't had a turn to dance and chat with me yet." Envy said casually as he slowly slid off his jacket, revealing to Lust a sleeveless blue top with sequins adorning his chest area.

Lust waited for the lights behind the curtain to dim, and then walked over to the box that held their new outfits. She nearly giggled as Envy fiddled with one particular button on his jacket that wouldn't come loose. He continued to fiddle with the button, and then just slithered the jacket off of his body, exhaling loudly with relief. Unfortunately, he forgot to cover the mic, and the masses outside mistook the sound for a romantic sigh.

Listening to the girls squealing outside, Envy strutted towards Lust wearing his usual cocky grin. He picked up his gold crown and gazed at his reflection in the mirror. He winked at himself.

"They love us."

Lust smiled seductively. "And I love _you, _my Prince."

Envy cackled, discarding his microphone, and said as seductively as he could "Get you're clothes on, Princess. Our people are waiting."

He turned. "By the way, what do you think Sheska's looking for in a guy like me?"

Envy put on a shy smile. "Innocent? 'Miss Sheska,'" he whispered softly, "'I'm very pleased to meet you…'"

"No."

Envy widened his eyes and grinned cheerily. "Hyper? 'Nice to meet you Sheska! I'm Envy!'" he said in a bubbly tone.

"No. Too feminine."

Envy smirked and slid catlike to the floor, his hands on his stomach. He winked and said seductively "the sexy, smoldering tempter? 'Am I…'"—he leapt to his feet and stroked Lust's cheek—"_poetic _enough for your tastes, Sheska baby?"

Lust giggled and kissed Envy on the lips with more force than before. "That's the type _I _wanted." she reminded him, nuzzling his chest.

"A-_**hem**_"

Lust looked up at his flushed companion. "Ah. I don't think Sheska would enjoy that one."

Envy's smirk returned. "Only one left. The Prince Charming." He bowed regally. "Princess Sheska, your waiting had proven worthy. Come, dance with me."

Lust nodded. "Perfect."

From outside, Greed yelled "Ole!"

"Ultimate Moron," Envy rolled his eyes, twirling his scepter idly. "He _does _know we aren't really doing anything above PG-13, right?"

Lust shrugged. The curtain whisked open, and Envy and Lust sat regally on two separate thrones in royal fur capes and diamond crowns. Ed, Winry, and the rest began to dance wildly again in front of them to roaring applause.

_'Cause that's when those louses_

Envy leapt onto the tarpalin, which was carried by Greed and Roy throughout the crowd. Ed marched beside them carrying a small roll of parchment under his arm. Meanwhile, the girls sang the finale with gusto, along with the crowd:

_Go back to their spouses_

_Diamonds_

The tarpalin zig-zagged through the crowd, leaving one question unanswered: Who was going to be Envy's partner _this _time?

_Are a_

Envy stared regally around at the girls, directing the tarpin ever nearer to Sheska, who sat mulling over the fact that _she _had danced with _Envy. _She didn't even notice that Envy was coming closer. The girls stopped singing. All that could be heard was Envy's charismatic voice accompanying the soundtrack:

_Girl's best_

With an acrobatic leap, Envy landed in front of Sheska and scooped her up in his arms. The music died, and Envy whispered into Sheska's reddening ear:

_Friend_

Ed jogged up to Envy and Sheska (who had been gently placed back on the ground) and turned to the audience. "_By Royal Decree of His Royal Highness Envy Dante…_" he began officiously.

Applause occurred from every area.

"…_Miss Sheska Bookspinner shall be his partner for tonight!_"

The audience roared their approval—nearly everyone else had achieved a chance to be with Envy for one night.

"_As most of you know, dancing, talking, holding hands etc. is allowed, unlike anything that would get either person in trouble. However, knowing Envy_"—Ed grinned mischeviously—"_there's bound to be at least _one _kiss to be had!_"

At that, Envy bowed gracefully to the laughing and whistling audience, and turned to Sheska.

"Sheska, my princess," he whispered earnestly, holding out a rose "your waiting is at an end. Shall we dance?"

Sheska took the rose gently and examined it, as though not believing it was real. Finally, she smiled and nodded.

"That's my girl…" Envy stage-whispered, then slowly took off his cloak, revealing the shirt underneath.

The crowd went wild as Envy led Sheska out to the center of the ballroom, with the song "I Need A Hero" blasting from the speakers. Contrary to popular belief, Sheska was in fact a good dancer, and she managed to keep Envy on his toes throughout the entire number. Ed realized just how much this must have meant for her—the crowd was cheering for _her, _instead of just Envy. She was a star.

Soon, the song ended, and Envy led Sheska to the infamous Balcony, where countless girls had been wooed by the charms of Envy. It was like something out of the classic Disney movie: pure white marble covered the floor and the rungs of the balcony, with vines trailing from several corners. Envy held Sheska's hand as they looked out at the perfect round moon.

"So," Envy said softly, leaning closer to Sheska, "how do you feel?"

Sheska shrugged. "I can't find any words from any book to describe how I feel."

Envy began to feel uncomfortable. Sheska was a bookworm with hardly any friends, save Winry. He didn't want to just dump her—he knew how emotionally unstable she was—but he had Lust! He wondered: would Lust mind if he took her under his wing for awhile? Probably, probably not.

"Speaking of books," Sheska said with a happy smile, "what do _you _read in your spare time?"

Envy grinned. "Oh, I read manga, fantasy, the occasional romance, sci-fi…" he rattled off.

He took Sheska's chin in his hand and pulled her closer, chuckling at the bright blush that spread across her cheeks. She gazed up at him with eyes so trusting that if he could, he would have stabbed himself and her with a stone spike. Didn't she know this was a _game?_

"Mr. Envy." Sheska said sternly, her ears reddening.

"Yes?" Envy whispered seductively, leaning his face closer to hers.

"I realize that this is a game to you, but let's pretend…let's pretend you really _are _in love with me."

Envy's face was inches away from hers, his eyes half-lidded. "Naturally," he breathed.

As promised by Ed, there _was _a kiss, and overall Envy found it quite enjoyable. Unlike the other girls, Sheska was inexperienced in the art of kissing, but she made up for it in expression. Her eyes widened, then glimmered with happiness intense enough that Envy was instantly reminded of Al.

_Wait…Al…_

The kiss broke. Sheska stood there smiling happily, tweaking one of his bangs. She gazed at him with a surprisingly cynical look.

"You taste like money."

"And you taste like candy." Envy replied with a roguish grin.

Sheska laughed and shook her head. "Come on, let's go back inside."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The party was over, and everyone had eaten enough pizza and danced until they could no longer stand.

Ed sat on the stage, panting heavily with Winry beside him. "But hey…at least I got some…exercise…" he wheezed.

Envy sat on the tarpin alongside Sheska, who was reading a book. Lust sat beside Envy, sweat trailing down her back. The eating and dancing had taken a lot out of _everyone_—Greed had fallen asleep in his DJ seat. Only Riza and Sloth were still standing, munching quietly on grapes.

"Say, Envy, do you have something planned with Sheska?" Ed asked quietly, so that only Envy could hear.

Envy nodded.

"Mind filling me in on what—"

Envy grinned. "Tomorrow morning, we all meet at the base, ten o' clock sharp." he informed his group.

Heads nodded, eyes flicked over to Sheska, then twinkled merrily at Envy's nod.

It was time for a new recruit.


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own FMA, nor do I own the chorus of "Ready Steady Go" by _L'arc en Ciel._ I also don't own "The Rage Beat" and _Bad Luck_, Ryuichi Sakuma and _Nittle Grasper—_they belong to the awesome people who made Gravitation.

Chapter Four: Recruitment and The Two-Sided Bonds of Brothers

--------------------------------------------------

Ed found himself bolting out the door with a half-eaten bagel in hand Saturday morning, heading towards The Base with a light heart.

The base had been a clubhouse for Envy and the rest for many years—and it still served this purpose. Aside from the mall, this was the hang-out spot for the whole group. From the creation of the small house to it's completion in 6th grade, Ed and Envy had always felt a bond between them because of it. It was where they could act as childish as they wanted—no one would object.

As Ed reached The Base, he inhaled the delicious scent of fall, with the leaves beginning to turn brown, yellow and orange, and the eternal scent of pine, as well as fresh apples. The Base looked as magical as ever—several boards nailed together in a rectangular shape, with two other boards nailed in the shape of a half-built triangle on top. On one side, there was a door, and on another there was a window with a plastic pane.

Approaching the door, he waited until a familiar forget-me-not blue eye peeked through a tiny slot in the woodwork.

"Speak the password, noble one, and ye shall enter," Wrath said majestically.

Ed sang in kind:

_READY STEADY CAN'T HOLD ME BACK_

_READY STEADY GIVE ME GOOD LUCK_

_READY STEADY NEVER LOOK BACK_

_LET'S GET STARTED__READY STEADY GO_

"All right, come in." Wrath said cheerily, opening the door.

Ed walked into The Base with the usual feeling of nostalgia. This house had in the past been home to knights in shining armor, daring alchemists, evil sorcerers bent on destroying the world, and dozens of secrets. Today, there would be a vote called. Ed lazily flopped down into a wooden chair and stared expectantly at Envy.

Envy looked strangely thoughtful as he sat on a old stump in front of a desk, not looking at anyone. Wrath sat in a chair beside the door, absentmindedly rubbing his shoulder. Ed's eyes flicked over to him and quietly analyzed the Freshman. Though it was a very hot day for fall, Wrath wore a long-sleeved sweater that nearly swallowed his arms. Ed's gaze turned back to Envy. He hadn't noticed before, but Envy looked paler than usual.

"So, Envy, did you bring Sheska?" Ed asked in a feeble attempt to make conversation.

Envy looked up and grinned broadly. "Nah. I've got to let you guys vote before I let her in on the new arrangements."

"I see."

Wrath peeked through the slot again, and repeated the majestic speech he had given Ed. Roy's deep voice sang the password, and was allowed in. He too gazed at Wrath thoughtfully, then sat down two seats behind Ed. The rest of the group filed in minutes later, and soon the small house was packed.

"Right," Envy said with a serious look on his face. "Well, you all know that our group has been made up of eight members for quite awhile now. I've decided that we need a new face, a new girl."

Ed and the rest hung on his every word.

"Most of you know Sheska Bookspinner, right?"

Heads nodded.

"I've decided that I'm going to take her under my wing. Let her be a part of our crowd. But that depends on your vote. And to do that, we have to decide if she should be in by personality. Riza?"

Obediently Riza stood up in front of the others and began to read from a manilla folder:

"Sheska Bookspinner is a shy, cheerful girl who enjoys reading. She is kind, optimistic, creative, has a photographic memory, and wishes she had more friends. As for her quirks, she is a klutz, tends to spazz out on occasion, and sometimes follows the rules a little _too _much."

As Riza marched briskly back to her seat, Envy said "Now, we'll contemplate Sheska's personality for a few minutes, and then we'll vote. Begin _now._"

Ed sat there rubbing his chin and thinking. He liked Sheska—he'd met her only last year—and although she was a klutz, her heart was in the right place. His vote was for her to join, naturally. Also, that memory of hers could be useful. He knew Winry would vote for her, since Sheska was her best friend besides Riza and Sloth. Roy would vote for her too, as would Riza. Yes, she had a fighting chance…

"Okay. You guys see those little bits of paper and pencil taped to your chairs? You can write your vote on there and place it"—Envy grinned and held up a battered old NY Yankees hat—"in this hat. I'll count up the votes…and you all know the rest."

Silently Ed wrote out _Yes _on his scrap of paper in block letters. Getting up from his seat, he crumpled the paper and placed it inside the hat. Everyone else stood up at different intervals and placed their papers inside the hat. Finally, all eight bits of paper were ready to be read.

"Yes."

Ed's heart lifted as Envy placed the paper beside the hat. Things were going smoothly.

"No."

_Dang…_ Ed thought, guessing who had written that answer. Greed folded his arms smugly behind his head.

"No."

"Yes."

Ed smiled inwardly. Things were going good.

"Yes."

"Yes."

"Yes."

Envy plucked one final scrap of paper from the hat. "This is my vote. I was thinking about what I would choose while I listened to Riza's analysis. Here we go…"

He smoothed it out and said, after joking that he couldn't read his own writing:

"Yes."

Grins and handshakes were given all around. Envy cried "On Monday, we'll have a new member…_if _she chooses to join!"

And with that the gang left the house, happy that their vote had counted.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Envy and Wrath drove happily back to their home, singing "The Rage Beat" by the newest band _Bad Luck _at the top of their lungs.

"Isn't Shuichi so cool?" Wrath gushed, bouncing up and down in his seat.

Envy grinned. "Of course. But he's got a long way to go to make the top ten."

When they reached the mansion, their grins faded. Staring at the almost Gothic look of the place, they quietly drove to the second giant garage.

Wrath hopped out of the Mercedes and headed toward his small built-in room. Envy sighed. It was almost like a mini-house: a shiny silver fridge was placed to one side next to a black sink, and a few beanbag chairs were scattered around the place. On a table against the concrete wall there was a laptop (bought by Wrath himself) and a wooden chair. Beyond that there was a ladder, which lead to a small loft where Wrath's bedroom was.

Wrath gave a forced grin. "Home sweet home!" he chirped, meandering over to the fridge and pulling out a can of Mountain Dew.

"If you need me, just knock on the side of your wall." Envy reminded him with a rare, brotherly smile. Nodding, Wrath settled down to his laptop, blasting some sort of heavy metal music from his iTunes.

Envy made his way back to the front door and unlocked it. Discarding his shoes, he tip-toed down the marble hall to the shining kitchens, where he grabbed a cookie to munch on. Chewing happily, he tip-toed up the spiral stairs. After he reached the top, he glanced around carefully, crouched down, and snuck silently towards his room at the very end of the second floor. Thankful that _She _hadn't saw him, he hurriedly opened and closed the door to his room.

"Finally…" he sighed, sliding to the floor.

His room was filled with posters, pictures, Party Plans, and CDs. The walls were a interesting cream color, while his four-poster bed was blood-red with silk sheets. Every bit of furniture in the room was red—from the CD player to the picture frames.

Wandering over to one particular poster, Envy flopped down onto the neon-green beanbag chair in front of it and in the format of a diary said:

"Hey, Ryuichi Sakuma. It's me, Envy. Things are going well outside of _this _place—I'm going to have a new friend! Her name's Sheska Bookspinner. She's a really amazing girl, though very shy. The party went great again last night, I think it was our best one yet! Aside from that, though…I'm worried about Wrath. _She _doesn't seem to like him at all, or me—I think. Anyway, I'm doing my best to make sure he does okay. He may bug me sometimes, but he's my brother—"

_Knock, knock, knock. _

Envy whipped around and listened like a caged animal for the noise. It came again, this time from his wall. Sighing with relief, he walked quickly over to the _Gackt _poster he had on his wall, and lifted it, revealing a door just big enough for him or Wrath to get through.

"I'm coming in," he warned, pushing the door open carefully. He wriggled on his stomach through the door and onto Wrath's bed. "What's up?"

"Can I have an extra blanket?" Wrath asked.

Envy nodded. "Sure." He popped back inside, yanked the comforter off of his bed, and managed to shove it inside the door to Wrath. He then handed him a shiny silver CD with _Nittle Grasper _on it.

"I know you like their work too. The Gravitation line seems to always get the best bands, huh?" Envy chuckled. "Oh, and if you want you can sleep in here with me tonight."

Wrath beamed. "Thanks, Envy! Hey—why don't we meet up on _Alchemists VS Homunculi _again? I heard Roy got a high score last time!"

Envy winked. "Be right there."

------------------------------------------------------

Ed and Al laughed happily as they tussled in the grassy lawn in front of their house, Trisha smiling and shaking her head.

Al suddenly flipped Ed over onto his back and slammed his hands down next to his face.

"Got you!" he chortled as Ed attempted to wriggle out from underneath him.

Ed smirked. "Oh, _really?_ Because I know your weakness!" he claimed.

Al stared. "Really? What's that, Brother?"

Ed's hands moved quickly and found their way to Al's armpits. "Fullmetal Special Attack—_Tickle!_" he cackled, tickling his brother unmercifully.

"Noooo! Brother, stop it! Kyahahaha!" Al laughed, rolling onto his back as Ed began to tickle his stomach. "I give up!"

"I win!" Ed laughed triumphantly, raising his hands in the air.

Trisha walked over to her sons with a quiet smile on her face. "All right, boys, that's enough. Do you want to help me make chocolate chip cookies?"

"If they're delicious on the outside…" Ed began majestically.

"…And gooey on the inside…" Al continued.

"_We, _the Elric Brothers, will assist you in your goal!" they chorused, raising their fists in the air.

Trisha laughed, and ruffled their hair. "That's my little heroes! Now come on, we'll make enough to feed Envy when he comes here tomorrow."

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	6. Chapter 5

Chapter Five:

-----------------------------------------------------------

Ed sat with his head pointedly facing the window as Envy started his Mercedes.

"You really _are _going to wear that to school, aren't you?" he asked wearily.

Envy fiddled with the kerchief on his sailor fuku. It had returned, as with most of Envy's strange outfits. However, _this _time Envy had an even more embarrassing idea than usual. Wrath and Al giggled in the back seat of the car.

"You know, Brother, you look pretty in that…" Al managed to blurt out between giggles.

Ed growled and folded his arms. "Shut up."

Envy smirked. "Yeah, Pipsqueak, you look even more feminine than usual." He flicked Ed's cowlick teasingly. "Just look at those innocent eyes; you're the perfect anime heroine!"

Ed ground his teeth. "Tell me when this nightmare's done."

Envy snapped his fingers. "Oh! I almost forgot!" He rummaged inside his bag, whistling merrily.

…And to Ed's everlasting horror, produced a pair of frilly pink ribbons.

"_**No.**_"

"Aww, but _Chibi-chan, _this suits you perfectly—"

"_Watch who you're calling a short girl_…!"

Envy pouted. "C'mon, _Chibi-chan_"—he grinned evilly—"your fans will love it…"

"Nonononononono—"

But no matter how many "no's" Ed garbled, in a matter of seconds he was wearing one pink ribbon in his usual braid, and the other was in Envy's ponytail.

"What'll Sheska think?!" he roared.

Wrath piped up "Oh, he already told the girls. Winry said she was going to call Sheska right away!"

Ed's eyes took on a terror-filled look. "_Winry _knows?! Oh, _God…_"

The Mercedes drove on.

----------------------------------------------------

Ed stamped out of the car with a look of pure rage. His sugar-pink skirt fluttered just above his knees in the wind, as did the pink kerchief that had been painstakingly tied into a bow. In fact, his entire uniform was in different shades of the accursed color, including his shoes.

"Oh, I'm going to_ hit _someone…!"

Envy grinned and slung an arm around Ed's shoulder. "_Really, _O_ Chibi-chan_, you just have to relax. Look, I'm wearing a fuku too, and _I'm _not complaining—"

Ed ground his teeth. "But _yours isn't pink._"

"Well, you'll be getting one heck of a surprise. You aren't the only one who has to endure this…"

At that precise moment, Roy wandered over to Envy and Ed, blushing mightily. He, too, wore a sailor fuku—his was in many different shades of blue. A sky-blue hairclip had been roughly shoved into his raven-black locks, and clip-on jade earrings had been placed onto his ears.

"Hello Edward, Envy. Or shall I say, _Chibi-chan _and _Yashi-chan_?" (**1**)

Simultaniously, Envy screamed "I'M NOT A PALM TREE!" while Ed screamed "WHO'RE YOU CALLING _SHORT?!_"

Roy laughed and held up his hands in a defensive gesture and said in a falsetto voice "Really, girls, you shouldn't shout like that!"

Riza and Winry walked over to Roy's side, wearing the military-style uniform that most Japanese high school boys wear to school. Like Roy, their uniform was blue, and Riza's hair was tied into a ponytail similar to Winry's.

"Well, Edo-_chan_, I'm surprised En—I mean _Yashi-chan_ talked you into this." Riza said with a small smile.

Ed shrugged. "I'm guessing there are rules to play by, as usual?"

Winry nodded and smiled. "Yep! See, you have to wear these clothes for the whole day, and call Envy, Roy and the others with the Japanese suffix '-chan', since they're dressed as girls, as well as Japanese nicknames, such as _Chibi-chan_. You also have to call Riza and I "-kun", with nicknames, as well as the other girls except Lust—she's not playing. You also have to try to act feminine, and yet let everyone know it's you. By the way, a couple of kids are in on the joke, other's aren't."

"…Wow…" Ed muttered, then cleared his throat and turned to Roy. After a few moments and teased in a innocent-sounding falsetto "So, _Uma-chan_, how exactly did they get you into that outfit?" (**2**)

Roy twitched. "Oh, it's all in fun, you know."

Envy joined in the conversation. "How's Shark—I mean _Fuka-chan _dealing with this?"

Roy smirked. "Greed skipped."

Envy rolled his eyes. "Of course. Oh, well, guess we'll have fun without him."

Ed piped up "Sheska joined?"

Winry shrugged and smiled. "She's thinking about it—she's taking part today, just to see how things go."

With Al and Wrath giggling beside them, Envy, Ed and the others walked boldly into the school to roars of laughter and applause.

--------------------------------------------------------

In the library, Lust sat with her arms folded at a small table, waiting for the nightmare to end.

"Sloth, _why _are we doing this?"

Sloth smiled and shrugged. "Because it sounded fun. I'm _Bushou-kun, _remember?" (**3**)

Sheska laughed and checked out a book from the librarian. "Yes, and I'm _Shimi-kun, _at my own request! This really is pretty fun!" (**4**)

Lust sighed. "Can't we just drop those for now?"

"Because En—I mean _Yashi-chan _said that there would be a prize for the winner!"

Sheska immediately began reading her book, fiddling with the buttons on her uniform. Sloth sat patiently waiting for the others to arrive. In moments, Envy and the rest filed in, laughing and chattering happily. As soon as Ed came into view, blushing heavily, Lust completely forgot her loathing of the game.

Between peals of laughter, Lust wheezed "I thought…you were joking when…you said you were going to get Ed to see his more feminine side…!"

Ed blushed and folded his arms. "Shut up, Lust"

Envy chuckled, and turned to Winry. "What do you say you try to take care of his bad attitude, _Takumi-kun_?" (**5**)

Winry giggled, and with no trouble at all managed to literally sweep Ed off his feet and into her arms. "How's this?" she asked with a grin as Ed's eyes bulged.

"Winry, _put me down!_"

Then, Envy got an even better idea. "Actually, _Takumi-kun, _give him to me for a second." he said in a crafty tone.

Smiling, Winry placed Ed into Envy's waiting arms. Ed's eyes grew even bigger when Envy spun on his heel and headed out the library door, gesturing for the rest of the group to follow him.

Envy muttered under his breath some words that Ed couldn't quite catch, though he did hear something that sounded similar to "weirdly fitting for him" and The Chuckle—the chuckle that automatically signaled that Envy had just thought of something not at all nice.

Soon, to Ed's terror, he found himself in Envy's arms in front of his entire History class, wearing a sailor fuku.

"Sorry, Mr. Cornello!" Envy bowed apologetically to Cornello, with Ed still in his arms. "_Chibi-chan _here fell, so I helped."

Many of the girls in the class instantly began to squeal with delight at the sight of Ed blushing mightily and Envy holding him fireman-style—with Ed's head nestled in the crook of his arm, and holding tightly onto his legs. For good measure, Envy flicked Ed's cowlick into place, sat him like a doll at his desk, and walked off with a smile, along with Roy and the rest.

Yes, today was definitely not Ed's day.

----------------------------------------------------

"So, Brother," Al asked with a mischevious grin that afternoon, "how did your classes go after that?"

Ed flung off his outfit and flopped onto his bed face-first. "I am never, _ever _going to live that down."

Al shook his head. "Mom thought it was cute, you know. She asked Envy where he got that outfit."

"_Mom _did?!"

"Yep."

Ed buried his face further into the bed. "Oh, God…"

When Al left the room five minutes later, Ed slid off his bed and onto the floor. He turned to his computer. He needed to give Envy a talking to. Getting to his feet, he walked over to his computer and turned it on, waiting for the usual "Welcome Back" message to pop up. It did, with Envy's username bolded on the small screen. Ed had an idea. Quickly he typed in a new username, and hit send. To his satisfaction, the screen then said:

**Chibi-chan **_is online…_

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1_ Yashi basically means "palm tree" in Japanese—I figured that would be a fitting "anime"-style nickname for Envy. _

**(2)** _Uma means horse. Another pun on a certain Mustang's name…_

**(3) **_Bushou literally means "Sloth" in Japanese. One of the simpler nicknames._

**(4) **_My personal favorite, Shimi means "bookworm"—a title that fits Sheska to a "T"! (is a Sheska fan)_

**(5) **_Takumi means "mechanic". It took me awhile to find a suitable nickname for Winry…she was originally going to be just "Wrench-kun" but that didn't sound right._


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter Six:

**Pocky + Books Are Love **_has signed on._

**MustangsFlame **_has signed on._

**Party Palmtree **_has signed on._

Envy lazily waited for Wrath to sign on, listening to the _clack, clack, clack _of his keyboard as he typed up his story. It was probably going to be at least over a hundred pages, and Envy had no idea what it was about. After a few seconds:

**LOSTBOY **_has signed on._

Envy grinned. _Now _things were going somewhere. Immediately he initiated the conversation, knowing that it was usually Roy who got things started:

**Party Palmtree: **Anybody got their homework done yet?

**MustangsFlame: **I've got a date in five

**MustangsFlame: **No time

**Pocky + Books Are Love: **Mine's done:)

**Party Palmtree: **:D Good for you Sheska

**LOSTBOY: **Envy, do you know if Al has a username?

**Party Palmtree: **Nope

**LOSTBOY: **I heard from Al that Edward's currently whining about the fuku. Says he'll never live it down.

**MustangsFlame: **A typical comment from the Popcorn Shrimp. (raises soda can) Here's to him.

**Party Palmtree: **lol

Suddenly, a woman screeched loudly for Envy and Wrath to come to dinner. Hurriedly Wrath and Envy said their goodbyes and shut off their computers, wondering what _She _was upset about.

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"_Arr, mates, man the sails!"_

"_Aye aye Cap'n Envy!"_

_Ed, Wrath and Envy sat on a large chunk of driftwood, acting out a dramatic game of pirates. Envy hopped about cheerily, commanding this and that, and they still followed his every whim. He always had the charm of Peter Pan, somehow—he was daring, courageous, creative and fun to be around. His charismatic aura seemed to attract many, but at that moment only the two Elrics and Wrath were able to slip past his self-created cage of solitude. _

_Envy was not always nice, either. On some days Ed would have to leap in front of Envy to keep him from hurting Wrath, while on other days Wrath was the one trying to attack Envy. Things were always tense on those days, but a half-hour later things would be back to normal. _

_Another person who was able to slip inside the cage was Winry. She was his first love, back in 5__th__ grade. Envy kissed her on the cheek one time behind the playground slides, and that began his reputation. But after a few days the general "love" idea wore off both Winry and Envy, and they went back to playing just like always. _

_But Winry had to be careful, too. The older Envy got, the more bad things he could do, until finally Trisha Elric stopped his spiraling ways by telling him that he was not alone; that he had Wrath and Edward, as well as Winry. But Envy said that he didn't need any help—and took it anyway._

_It didn't strike Ed odd until much later about one thing:_

_At Envy's parties, no one chaperoned. _

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Envy and Wrath ate silently on opposite sides of the huge dining room table while Dante—known in her house as _She--_sat at its head, eating daintily.

Envy scooped the spaghetti up in his fork and tentatively ate it, glancing with a hint of fear at the not-so-welcome dinner companion. He would have preferred for his and Wrath's nanny Lyra to have dinner with them, but today she was too busy. Wrath attempted to hide himself from _Her _view by sliding slightly under the table. There was no point. _She _wouldn't notice them. It was better that way.

"Done." Envy said suddenly, pushing his plate away.

Wrath nodded and did the same, getting up from his chair. Silently they walked out of the dining hall, feeling the gaze of Danteburning through them.

"Wait, boys." _She _commanded, a silky tone to her voice.

Envy and Wrath halted in their tracks, and turned to face _Her. _"Yes?" Envy asked quietly, lowering his head.

_She _stood up, and walked towards them, her expensive satin dress rustling on the carpet floor. Pale hands so similar to the boys' own lifted their faces to meet hers. They stood stiff as a board—_She _hardly ever touched them, but when she did, they never knew what to expect. _Dante _affected a sweet, motherly smile, and held them both close. Envy's gaze turned blank, while Wrath shook with emotion.

Envy inwardly seethed, knowing what Dantewas doing. _Just play along, just play along…_ he repeated to himself. _Just play along, and it'll be over. _

Wrath couldn't take it. "I love you too, Mom." he garbled, burying his face in her dress.

Envy freed himself from the damning touch of the woman who _could _be called their mother, grabbing Wrath's hand and pulling him away. He knew what _She _had wanted—to see their weakness.

"Let's go."

When they exited the door, they bolted towards Envy's room, hearing _Her _triumphant guffaw throughout the house.

She had won again.

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	8. Chapter 7

Just to inform everyone about exactly where this fic takes place, since it can be confusing—this is set in America, or an America-ish place. The Gravitation Record label, one of the biggest out there in this little universe, tends to "recruit" bands or singers from foreign countries (Japan, Spain, Austrailia, Britain, Germany etc.) to boost their popularity, and their buyers.

Chapter Seven

---------------------------------------------

Tuesday September the eighth arrived with the whispers of homework on the rise.

Indeed, a few minor papers had been handed out from each of the teachers, making everyone complain no matter how easy they were. Ed and Al were one of the few who finished their homework as soon as class ended, much to their teachers' satisfaction. Envy and the rest (besides Sheska, who had happily joined their gang) put off the homework for later, as usual.

It was just another afternoon.

---------------------------------------

"Ms. Trisha, we're here!" Envy called happily, knocking on the door to the Elric home.

Trisha opened the door and welcomed her sons and Envy and Wrath inside with a warm smile. The boys filed in, politely brushing their shoes off on the welcome mat. Trisha asked them kindly how their day was, and handed them cookies on plates while they asked about hers. Just as she began to say that her day was much less interesting, something happened that would soon change everything.

Trisha bent over double and began to hack badly, her face a mask of pain.

"Mom! Are you—" Ed and Al raced to her side and thumped her on the back.

Envy and Wrath hurried to get some cough medicine, their hearts pounding wildly against their chests and minutes later Envy returned with Wrath on his heels, carrying not only cough drops and medicine but the portable phone.

"Let's call her doctor, she looks really bad." Envy ordered, chucking the phone to Al.

"No, Envy, I'm fine—really—" Trisha's objections were drowned out by a fit of coughing so horrible it sounded as though bile would soon be heading northward at any time.

"Hang on, Mom." Ed said determinedly, quickly dialing Clara Psiren's Number.

"How may I help you?" Dr. Psiren said cheerily.

"Hi, Doctor Psiren. Ed Elric. Urgent—Mom's really sick!" Ed nearly screamed into the phone, despite his determination to stay calm.

Dr. Psiren was all business immediately. "Bring her over. We'll take a look at her."

----------------------------------------------------

"Breathe in."

Trisha coughed weakly.

"That's not good. Breathe out—there we go."

Ed, Al, Envy and Wrath sat stoically in the waiting room at the hospital, listening worriedly at the constant coughing sound that eminated from the small office.

Al voiced everyone's thoughts quietly. "I hope she's okay…"

Envy clapped Al on the shoulder. "Your Mom's amazing—she'll be fine, just watch!"

Ed gave a forced grin. "Yeah, Al. Mom's the strongest person we know, remember?"

Al smiled back. "Yeah…I guess you're right, Brother…"

Wrath snored loudly, his face covered by a _Sports Illustrated _magazine. The clock ticked slowly, as though milking the tension. Seconds turned into minutes, minutes into an hour. Suddenly, Dr. Psiren exited the office she had been using with Trisha. The boys leapt up and pelted her with questions.

"How is she?"

"Is Mom alright?"

"Was it just a fever, or something?"

"Can she come home?"

Dr. Psiren readjusted her stethescope with a look of patience. "You might be expecting too much of Ms. Elric."

Ed sneered. "Dad died when I was three, leaving Mom a widow with two kids. Trust me, there's nothing she can't do."

Dr. Psiren smiled sadly. "Perhaps she should stay at the hospital for awhile. She has a Pneumonia."

"What?! How?" Ed and Al cried out in shock.

"We're not quite sure. It must have been from visiting your father's grave every night, in the bitter cold. Or at least that's my guess from what she told me."

Silence drifted like a dense fog around the boys.

Dr. Psiren smiled. "The hospital's quite close by, so you could visit her every day if you wanted, right?"

Ed and Al nodded reluctantly, while Envy muttered "But it's not the same…"

"Well, maybe she'll get better quickly and come home in a month or so?" Wrath asked encouragingly.

Dr. Psiren added with a reassuring look "We'll take good care of her."

Ed looked at Al, and with twin looks of determination they nodded together.

"Fine. But you _have _to take good care of her."

------------------------------------------------

Al busily cooked some leftovers in the microwave back at the house, watching Ed flip through the channels with no particular interest.

Anime, sitcoms, documentaries, movies—they all flickered past in the blink of an eye. The Gravitation label had just obtained a new foreign band—_The Boy Who Lived and The Wizards_. They were quite good, vocally and instrumentally, but girls were mainly cooing over the lead singer, Clive Walter—he was probably going to be the next Elvis. Al chuckled to himself as Ed got up and began to dance in front of the TV, humming along to the song that was being played by _The Boy Who Lived: _

_Do you believe in magic in a boy's soul?_

_Believe in the wands and the spells…_

Ed spun around and moved his hips to the drum beat, then stepped forward than back in a pattern, jumping and twisting in the air. This continued for the next two minutes of the song, with Al watching without Ed's notice.

"…_Believe that some day, you're gonna flyyyyyyy…_" Ed warbled the last verse in as high a voice that he could manage, flopping onto the leather couch exhausted.

Al laughed and clapped loudly and enthusiastically, much to Ed's surprise and embarrassment.

"…I…I thought you were upstairs—" he stammered.

Al laughed again. "I like watching you dance, you're so enthusiastic about it. You're much better than _me _at it."

Ed shrugged. "You want to see if there's anything else on?"

Al nodded and folded his arms behind his head. "I wonder if _The Cat Returns _is on…"

Ed rolled his eyes. "You have it on DVD. Just watch it in your room. I don't get why you like that show, anyway—it's girly."

Al sighed. "_Brother, _I know you watch _Ranma ½_, and _that _is just as good as_ The Cat Returns._"

Ed chuckled—he could never have an argument with his brother for long. "I know you have a crush on the main character anyway—what's her name?"

Al blushed. "Ah—I do _not_! That was years ago, Ed!"

"Was noooot…" Ed sang, ruffling Al's hair playfully.

"Was too!" Al argued, giving Ed a noogie.

The usual argument ensued, with Al winning in the end and grabbing his beloved film from the movie bin by the TV. The two brothers sat happily together, trying to take their minds off Trisha.

It would be a restless night for many.

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Just to inform you all, I'm going to be on vacation for a week or so, so I won't be updating this fic for a little while! I decided to give you this chapter now so that you can be occupied while I'm gone.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

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Days passed, until it was the 12th, and for the second time Trisha's illness had taken a turn for the worst.

Trisha's health had been changing rapidly since Wednesday, turning from good to ill as if by a passing fancy. Ed and Al (as well as the others) were growing quite anxious by the constant changes; Trisha was close to everyone's heart. After all, it was she who made Greed a birthday cake the year before—in the shape of a pair of sunglasses, no less.

Meanwhile, classes began to grow even more tedious and boring—particularly Cornello's.

"And so, in 200 B.C., the first church of Leto was built…"

Ed fought back a yawn and scribbled down a few notes, reading the textbook carefully. It seemed the only way he would _learn_ in History was to ignore Cornello and concentrate on the book. His fellow classmates—save for a girl named Rose—were all thinking the same thing, if the flipping of pages was anything to go by. The clock ticked by slowly to mock them.

Finally the bell rang. With immense relief, Ed pounded out the door ahead of the others.

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"Let's see…Photography 101…room 124. Right, but where _is it?_" Envy growled, glancing around in mild panic for the elusive class.

He'd been prowling around the lower areas of the school (called the Lair) for about 15-to-20 minutes, and still hadn't found what he was looking for. Ed had gone off to the office to obtain directions, leaving Envy to hunt for their next class. Photography was a extracurricular that Envy's group had been looking forward to for awhile—Greed had been kicked out of the second level of the course for his "improper usage of a camera"—and Envy was _not _going to miss out on the fun. He had a fantastic idea for the school fair, and Photography (which included video cameras) played a large part in it.

Envy stared at the room numbers on either side of him, growing even more confused. There was room 134. That meant he'd passed room 124…but that was impossible! He'd looked at all the numbers very carefully! This was so _stupid_!

"Envy, are you lost?"

Envy turned around, seeing a familiar lanky figure leaning against the wall, slowly smoking a cigarette. He cocked an eyebrow as Greed took a drag on the drug and smirked.

"You're not used to this area of the school, huh?"

Envy shrugged. "Any chance you could help?" He coughed suddenly at the strange foreign smell of cigarette smoke.

Greed held up a hand, signaling to wait, and with a determined look on his face dumped two or three packs of cigarettes (plus the one he was smoking) into a nearby garbage can, and pulled out a bag of toffees.

"I'm trying to quit," he explained to Envy's surprised expression, popping one or two of the candies into his mouth.

"Because of Al and Wrath." It wasn't a question.

Greed nodded, then went to business. "Right, this hall here leads to a dead end, so if you turn around, take the hall on your…hmm…" Greed snapped his fingers, trying to remember. "Oh, yeah, the hall on your left. Then keep going down that one until you see another hall. Go down it for about 20 steps, and then you have room 124."

"I owe ya, Greed." Envy said with relief, shouldering his bag and heading off.

"I'll hold you to it. Why don't you Ed, and Al come check out the _Devil's Nest _with me sometime? I promise I won't get you guysh inter trouble..." The toffees began to work their magic on Greed's jaws, making his words impossible to understand.

Envy chuckled and shrugged. "Possibly. See ya."

Greed waved lazily as Envy raced off, feeling his teeth begin to glue together from his new anti-drug.

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Envy sat panting with exhaustion beside and equally tired Ed, with Lust sitting behind him.

The two had finally made it to Photography, and were happy indeed that they weren't the only ones late for class. Mr. Mäes Hughes, the Photography teacher (and former detective) was unfortunately late as well. For what reason, no one knew. The perverts thought of many X-rated reasons, many involving fellow teachers, while most worried that he had become hurt or sick. Envy watched as Ed attempted to keep himself from boredom by sketching a suit of armor with a cat perched on it's helmet.

"What's that?" Envy asked curiously, pointing to the sketch.

"Hm? Oh, this. Well, Al made up this character, a living suit of armor. I thought it sounded really cool, so I'm trying to make a drawing for him. I think he plans on making a story with Wrath about it." Ed smiled.

"Cool! So, why do _you _think Hughes is late?"

"Oh, I'm sure he's off bragging about his wife." Ed smirked.

Mäes Hughes was an old family friend of the Elric family. As Trisha's best male friend throughout high school and college, he was introduced to Ed and Al from the beginning. He was their equivalent of an uncle, or even a replacement father, in a way. Any time he was around the Elrics, he would have a camera in hand, ready to snap a few Kodak moments at a moments notice.

This also caused Ed supreme embarrassment, since Hughes often used the pictures he took as examples of good photos in his classes. This year, Ed would have to endure the trial in person. Eternal humiliation was on it's way—Envy, Roy and Greed would never let him live it down.

Finally, Hughes entered the classroom with a cell phone in one hand and a digital camera in the other. A grim smile was on his face as he faced the rows of tables in front of him. The class stared back at him silently, curious. Sensing the obvious questions behind the stares, Hughes stuffed his phone unceremoniously in his pants pocket and cleared his throat.

"You're all obviously wondering what took me, so I'll break the news," he said casually, running his hand through his slicked back ebony hair. One abnormally-long strand of hair stuck out like an accusing finger from his hairline, lightly bouncing as he spoke.

Hughes placed the camera in his hands gently on his desk in front of him, still keeping his eyes on the students.

Ed leaned forward in his seat. Envy stared out of the corner of his eye at his friend's wide, eager eyes, and at his half-open mouth. A sudden image occurred in his mind, one that he'd never thought of before. It was strangely appealing, the idea of Ed's eyes shining with—a blush appeared on Envy's cheeks at the sudden mental picture:

_Ed blushes a light-pink and looks down at the ground, fiddling with his pink sailor fuku. He gazes up at Envy with eyes that are much too sparkly and cute-looking, and whispers in a cute falsetto:_

"_Envy-sama_, _will you walk home with me…?" _

"…Of course…" Envy whispered out loud, then realized his embarrassing mistake.

Hughes' eyes briefly flicked over to him, his detective-skills taking in the situation at a glance. Many students probably heard that, and the tone was certainly questionable. It was time for a distraction.

"_I'm going to be a father!_" Hughes joyfully cheered, starry-eyed.

Ed, Envy, and many other students whooped and clapped in congratulation while others just rolled their eyes and sniggered. Hughes beamed, and in the pretense of turning to wipe tears from his eye winked at Envy knowingly.

_Darn him…_ Envy thought panicking as Ed grinned and roared his encouragement to Hughes. _He heard…_

"Oh, and can't _wait _to celebrate the news with my wife in person! The phone is hardly good for that sort of thing! My dear Gracia…she's so happy, like an angel of motherhood…" Hughes continued, raising his hands high in reverance.

20 minutes later, Hughes began to explain how to operate a camera, carefully instructing the class on each button and how to use it. For fun, he even took candid shots of the class—though Ed got him back beautifully, screaming "Hey, your fly's undone!" and quickly snapping a picture of Hughes blushing dark red as he whipped around to fix his pants. And in return, Hughes decided to show what good examples of photography were…via Elric Family Slideshow. Let the good times roll.

"…And here's Ed and Al at Disney World when they were little! Ed was four, and Al was three…cute, huh?" Hughes grinned.

Envy couldn't help but snigger at the baby version of Ed, wearing a Mickey Mouse Club t-shirt that reached his knees, holding on tightly to Alladin's arm, his gap-tooth grin sunny and innocent. Al stood a few inches taller than Ed, and held a Simba plush tightly to his chest, his smile shy.

The class made sounds of mocking endearment while Ed blushed a deep crimson.

Hughes moved to another photo in the slideshow he'd made. "And here's Ed with Envy, playing in the rain…"

Envy stared in awe at the photo staring back at him. A innocent-looking blonde boy stood frozen in time, his tongue reaching out for the rain. His hair was plastered to his face, his eyes scrunched up with delight. A more lithe, mischevious-looking child with eyes that were a little too dark, somehow, was holding out an umbrella to the smaller boy. The dark-eyed boy's hair was ebony, and was cropped short. His clothes were a crisp grey uniform, a sober black tie, and a pair of black leather shoes.

Magically, dialogue floated back to Envy's conciousness:

"_Here. You'll catch cold."_

"_Nah, I'll be fine, Envy!"_

"_I don't want you to get cold out here!"_

"_Envy, come on, _live _a little!"_

"…_What?"_

"_Whatcha mean, 'what'?! Play with me!"_

_A suspicious look flashes across child-Envy's face. "'Play'?"_

"_Come _on_!"_

_A small hand snatches the umbrella away and throws it toward the trees. Envy gasps in astonishment. Child-Ed starts to run through the puddles, giggling happily while the little boy behind him stares confusedly at him from behind. _

"_But…where are we going?"_

"_In the woods! Come on, we'll build something!"_

_Envy cocks his head to one side, frowning. Child-Ed turns and grins, squeezing his hand reassuringly._

"_Envy, it's going to be fun. I would never hurt you. Trust me, 'kay?"_

_Finally, Envy's lips jerkily stretch into a grin for the first time. "'Kay."_

Envy smiled with a hint of sadness as the slideshow switched to a shot a few minutes later, showing the two boys splashing happily in the puddles. From that moment, his life had become much more bearable, fun. After all, having a friend makes everything seem more full of life. Briefly, he wondered if his eyes still looked that dark.

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	10. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own FMA or any of the songs mentioned herein.

Chapter Nine

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"Ed! Ed! Ed! Ed!"

"Hwha…?" Ed mumbled, sitting up in bed with a start.

"It's Saturday, remember? Didn't I tell you about our plans?" Envy asked with a expectant grin.

Envy leaned precariously on the windowsill as usual, clothed in a cashmere sweater (green of course), with levis and lime-green sneakers. Ed marveled at his surprisingly conservative look for the day, and scanned the room for some unused clothing.

"Not really. What was the plan again?" he queried, hopping out of bed and grabbing a orange short-sleeved sweatshirt-like garment with white stripes on the sleeves.

"You, Wrath, Al and myself are going to visit Greed at the _Devil's Nest_!" Envy whooped, leaping from the sill and grabbing a pair of brown sweatpants from their position on Ed's kickboxing trophy.

"Thanks. Hey, d'you know when tryouts are?" Ed took the pants from Envy and headed towards the door.

"Next Monday, I think. Mr. Mason had a bit of a fever I heard." Envy shrugged.

A knock was heard on the door, followed by a muffled yawn. Ed opened the door and grinned at the tussled head of Al.

"I…hear-hear-heard…that we're going somewhere?" Al yawned again, scratching his head sleepily.

"Yup. We're going to visit Greed!" Ed said with a grin.

Al's eyes lit up. "_Really? _At that place he always hangs out at?" he squeaked, looking giddy with joy.

"Yeah! Actually, we might see Roy and the others there. I know a bunch of kids from our school go there to hang out." Envy smirked.

Ed headed off to the shower and called over his shoulder "Get Al in the car before he hyperventilates, okay En?"

Envy cackled and galumphed down the stairs, with Al racing after him laughing happily.

---------------------------------------

_Devil's Nest _was near the "loud" area of the city, where the slums were located. Envy was right—many students _did _flock there, but no one they knew was around, besides Greed.

It was clear Greed was in his element, lounging in the back of the room, sipping from a soda and snapping his fingers to the beat. One or two girls sat by his side, hanging on every word he said. Al instantly ran up to him with a smile on his face.

"Mr. Greed, we came!" he chirped, with Wrath behind him.

Greed grinned showing his strangely pointed teeth, and raised his can to Envy and Ed lazily. The two girls instantly went off in a huff, back to the karaoke bar. Envy laughed loudly, and made his way to the couch where Greed sat. The leather squeaked under him as he perched on the armrest, surveying the partying crowd around him.

"Kind of cute." Envy sneered as several preppy-looking girls shook their charm-bracelet-adorned wrists to the beat of the music, their pink halter-tops barely covering them—namely their chests.

Ed made a face. "What, the songs or the girls?"

"Both." Envy pointed lazily to one girl in a leather mini skirt and black tank top standing next to a olive-skinned boy in nothing but leather, from his gloves to his boots. "Aww, look at the widdle rebels. Trying to look all indifferent..." he cooed mockingly, snickering.

Wrath pointed to another girl, brown-haired with a light-pink turtleneck and brown sweatpants. "I kind of like her. She seems quiet enough."

Al smiled and pushed Wrath forward. "Go on, ask her what her name is. It'll be easy!"

Wrath laughed with a hint of bitterness, and turned to Envy. "Should I?"

Envy gave him the thumbs up, and said "Don't forget to ask her to dance."

As Wrath walked off into the crowd, a couple of girls walked up to the remaining boys. They were the preps from before. One, Ed noticed, had ridiculously made-over blue eyes with pink painted lips. She had her eyes set on him. Another was gazing candidly at Al, her light-brown hair with pink highlights shining in the disco lights.

"Hey." The first girl said, her voice husky.

Ed grinned and said hello politely, wondering how the hell she even got into that stupid skirt. The girl giggled in a nasally way, the kind usually heard from Queen Bees. Her black hair was tied back in a bun, and was slowly coming undone. In a way, it looked a little nice. But then he turned his eyes back to her face, and mentally grimaced.

"You know, I think that, like, braids on guys are _toe-tallay _hot." The girl continued, showing off her pearly whites. "They, like, make guys look _sooo _artistic."

"Really?" Ed said casually, fingering his braid pensively.

"Like, ya. And amber eyes are just _so _cute."

Envy hid a snigger as Ed blushed at the girl.

"Uh, thanks. I think." he managed to splutter.

Envy smirked. "And your name is?"

"Sarah. I'm, like, the most popular girl at my school! _And_ I'm the class prez."

"Good for you." Ed muttered irritably. Sarah giggled again and fluttered her eyelashes.

Sarah continued with her talk. "My BFF's and I go to Aquarya every Summer to visit the beaches there. Like, you guys would fit right in!"

Envy quirked an eyebrow and smirked. "Might be interesting. Thanks for the tip."

"Like, no prob."

Sarah was suddenly nudged on accident, by a small pale looking girl. The prep shoved the girl away, saying harshly "Eww, gross, a nerd! I must've got her book-germs on me! Hon-est-_lee, _some girls just don't know what _works. _Like, look atthat shirt! I wouldn't be caught _dead _wearing that! And what's with those friends you hang with? They're weirdos to the extreme!"

The girl blushed, stammered, and ran away sobbing.

Envy's hand twitched.

"So, cutie, wanna dance?" Sarah asked coyly, cocking her head to one side and extending her hand.

Ed stared at the blood-red nail polish decorating Sarah's manicured nails and shook his head. Sarah stared at him in awe and disgust.

"Like, Oh. My. _Gawd. _You have _got _to be kidding me. _You _won't dance with _me?_"

"Exactly. You just aren't my type. Besides, you have way too big of an ego. And I saw the way you treated that girl back there—pushed her right out of your way to get to me, didn't you?" Ed spat venomously. "And the girl just now—it was an accident; that was obvious to everyone, but _you _had to insult her in front of strangers like that!" You must think you're a Queen or something, huh? Well guess what, _your Highness, _I happen to be the Prince of Central's right-hand-man."

Envy hid his gratitude in favor of a smug smirk as Sarah's eyes widened in horror.

"He…he's not…_Envy Dante?!_" Sarah gasped, covering her mouth with her hands.

Greed nodded. "Yup. And Envy hates girls like you."

Al and the other girl hadn't said a word throughout the conversation, but instead sat listening. Al finally walked over to Sarah and patted her shoulder.

"There _are _others, you know." He said comfortingly, but with a hint of firmness.

Sarah spun on her stiletto heels and managed to sway voluptuously out of sight into the crowd. Envy's sharp cackle cut through the blaring music, warning Sarah to not push anyone else around while he was there.

Wrath suddenly appeared with the girl he had seen before in tow.

"Everyone, this is Nina Tucker. Her dad works for one of the Universities. Nina, this is my brother Envy, my best friend Al, and over there is Greed, another friend. Al's brother Ed is the one smirking beside Envy."

Nina smiled sweetly and clasped her hands behind her back. "I'm going to have to be going soon. Alexander's probably lonely." She giggled at the bemused expressions on the boys' faces. "He's my dog."

"Maybe we'll see you in school?" Wrath asked in a slightly breathy voice. Envy sniggered.

Nina smiled. "Sure! Bye!" And with that she headed out into the crowd.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Envy, Greed and Ed instantly turned their heads to face Wrath, raised their eyebrows, and crooned simultaneously "Oooooh, Wrath's got a _crush!_"

Wrath's face was red the rest of the afternoon.

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October was well under way when Envy began making preparations for the Halloween dance.

There was a rather heated debate among the group on what they would be wearing. Winry wanted the girls to wear something feminine, like fairies or witches. Riza, Roy and Lust wanted military uniforms. Greed wanted…well, he was not one to play dress up, anyway. Sloth was on a business trip with her parents, but she had emailed Lust saying that she liked Winry's idea. Envy, Sheska and Ed had decided that vampire/werewolf getups would be fantastic.

The only possible way the whole idea would work was two words:

COSTUME SESSION.

"All right. The plan is this: on Thursday—that's an early release day—we all meet up at Riza's at around one-thirty. _You-know-who _is not in the best of moods right now—got dumped last night." Envy smirked triumphantly at the news. "Anyway, as everybody else's parents are either too busy to help or indisposed, Riza's going to have all the costumes at the ready. We'll try each of them on, and find out what works best. Any questions?"

Sheska raised her hand. "Um, for how long are we going to be staying at Riza's?"

Riza shrugged. "As long as we need. We can even have a study session."

Sheska sighed with relief.

"Any more questions?" Envy looked around at the group. "Alright, then, the party is _under way!_"

The group cheered loudly, raising their milk cartons (or, in Greed's case, soda) for a toast. Their drinks bumped together in unison as they drank down the contents just as the bell rang.

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Envy and Ed arrived in his Mercedes five minutes late with Al and Wrath.

Riza invited them into her small townhouse politely, smiling gently at Al and Wrath. The house itself was warm and friendly looking, with Halloween decorations such as plastic jack-o'-lanterns hanging from the light fixtures. A fireplace blazed in the living room.

"The costumes are upstairs. Everyone's up there already." Riza said quietly, walking up the carpeted steps two at a time.

Envy and Al made it to the top first, grinning widely at the large selection of costumes. From samurai to robot, any costume you wanted was here. The group had pitched in quite enthusiastically, bringing plenty of costumes for everyone to use. Some chatter and laughing was heard from behind several racks of costumes.

Out of the blue, a bulky _thing _came flying out of the nearest rack, nearly knocking Al over. It screeched to a halt, and grinned proudly at the gaping foursome, showing the smug face of one Roy Mustang.

"What do you think? 'The Art of Posing Ridiculously has been passed down the Armstrong Line for generations'!" Roy laughed, flexing his arms from the inside of a inflated muscle suit.

Envy cackled. "You need a skullcap with a blonde hair curl. Oh, and you've got to grow another foot, but otherwise, you'd make a great Mr. Muscles."

Roy made a face. "I'm not _really _going to dress up as him. It'd be too much work." He walked back behind the racks, calling out "Take your time, there's enough costumes here to outfit at least two classes!"

Envy grinned widely and began immediately shifting through the costumes—Halloween was his favorite time of year, after all. Al and Wrath joined in the fun eagerly, hoping that for once they'd be able to take part in the fun.

After a few minutes, Wrath emerged, wearing a pair of black leather short-shorts, a navy-blue t-shirt that cut off at his belly, and a crop-top identical to Envy's underneath that.

"Um…Wrath…are you sure that's not a little…_suggestive?_" Al asked nervously as Wrath eyed his reflection in a nearby mirror. "I mean, the shirt and so on is all right, I guess, but the _shorts…_"

Wrath grinned and pulled on a single, almost-elbow-length black glove, showing off the arm that Ed had given him. "Nahhh, it'll be okay. Envy wears this sort of thing all the time, right?"

Al sighed, and rubbed the back of his head. "I suppose so, but…Oh! _Brother!_ You won't _believe _what I just found!" he gasped, whipping around to show Ed his newest discovery.

In Al's hands was an exact replica of Ed's cloak, only larger to fit Al's body almost exactly. It still seemed a little baggy, but it wouldn't be drooping off of his arms. Envy poked his head out of the nearest rack and smirked at the sight of Al beaming happily and shaking the cloak excitedly in front of him, as if exhibiting a lost fabric from a far-off land.

Ed grinned and folded his arms. "You're going to dress up as _me _for Halloween, Al? Sounds interesting."

"There should be a shirt like yours in here too, Brother! I'll go check!" Al ducked back into the costumes, with Wrath eagerly following him.

Ed pawed through the costumes, not quite knowing what to wear. A robot would be a bit too clunky, what with all those cardboard boxes. There was _no way _that he would dress up as a prince, no matter how many times Winry insisted. …A wolf was out of the question, far to stuffy…_NO, _definitely not a shrimp either, that was asking for height jokes…he'd_ die_ before he dressed up as a maid, butler, or any other domestic service—Greed probably chucked those clothes in for a laugh—

He continued to search, sometimes assisted by Sheska (who had chosen a blue secretary uniform, complete with manila folders), and Winry, who had decided to mimic Riza's costume, which was of course a military uniform.

Nothing seemed to work, however, until Ed found a simple brown vest-like jacket with a white dress shirt, with brown dress pants and tap shoes. It was plain, simple, and entirely different from his usual style.

"Hey, Ed! Check _this _out!" Envy whooped, rustling around with a green dragon's head made out of paper machete, and a lime-green rubber suit. "I'm a dragon! How's _that _for unique, huh?"

Ed smirked. "Very. Oh, by the way, are you going to let Wrath walk onstage with that…well, I guess it'd be called 'skimpy' outfit?" He gestured to Wrath, who was practically strutting around the room, with Al following him like a duckling and his mother.

Envy stared at his little brother for a moment, then walked over to him. Wrath halted in his strutting and stared up at Envy, his eyes wide and innocent. Five seconds later Envy ruffled Wrath's hair, grinned, and wandered back to Ed.

"No, it's fine." He shrugged and checked the time. "Hey, it's almost time to go!"

Ed sighed and followed suit, with the rest of the gang behind him.

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It was nearly ten p.m., and the Halloween Party was in full swing.

The seventy-plus teenagers that had gathered for the event cheered and danced wildly to the songs Greed was choosing, with Wrath dancing happily with Nina in the middle of the crowd. Envy was, of course, enjoying himself immensely on the stage with Lust as per usual. Ed had snuck out to the telephone to contact the hospital, eager to find out how Trisha was doing.

Al smiled up at Rose, whom he was slow-dancing with at the moment. "So…um…are you having fun?" he asked nervously.

Rose giggled. "Of course! Envy's parties are always fun."

Al nodded. "Where did you get that costume, anyway?" he asked, gesturing to Rose's angel outfit.

"Oh, I got it at a pawn shop…"

They continued talking for a while, as "Everytime We Touch" by _Cascada _filled the ballroom. Everyone was at peace, swirling around the room in their different costumes with their friends. It was perfection. Al's lips curled into an ecstatic grin as he held Rose's hands in his. He wished this would never end, ever… and then he had a sudden sick feeling that he wouldn't be dancing with anyone for a while.

And then Ed stumbled over to him, his eyes blank and unseeing. He held a portable phone in his hand. Envy noticed his expression from his perch on the stage, and ran over, feeling a rising panic claw it's way to his throat—

Envy reached the Elrics just as Al let out a wail of anguish at Ed's choked words:

"Al, Mom's dying."


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

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Ed and Al ran blindly into the hospital, slamming the elevator buttons angrily as they headed to the fourth floor, where Trisha's room was. They had abruptly left the party and Envy a few seconds after Ed heard the news, and were barely able to think straight.

"Brother, I'm scared! What—what'll we—" Al gasped as they finally reached the fourth floor—the elevator making a soft _ping _sound as its doors opened—tears falling down his face.

Ed couldn't say anything. He screeched to a halt beside the emergency ward, and kicked open the room 1013. There, Trisha lay breathing laboriously.

"Mom!" Ed managed to choke out, stumbling to her side. His tears fell onto the white coverlet as Trisha turned her head slowly and smiled at him. Weakly, she wiped them away.

"Edward…oh, you look so handsome. And Al! That coat looks nice on you, sweetheart. I'm so proud of the two of you…" Trisha let out a ragged gasp.

"Sssh, Mom, don't say anything. Save your strength, okay?" Ed said softly, giving her a watery smile.

Trisha gave a little giggle and shook her head. "It's all right, dear. It's time for me to go. Just…can you give this message to those two boys, Envy and Wrath?"

Ed and Al nodded silently.

"Good. Tell them"—she coughed violently—"tell them that I hope I was a good friend to them. I think of those two as…my _other _little boys…" She managed another giggle.

Ed and Al instantly clasped Trisha's hands tightly as she continued. "…And I want you two…to use the money I have left on our bank account. And look after the house. Your father left it for us in his will. Take care of each other for me, all right…?"

"Of course, Mom. We promise."

"My little men…I love you so muh…ch…"

Trisha's eyes became blank and lifeless as her hand went limp.

Ed and Al couldn't hold in their sorrow any longer. Their knees gave way as they cried out for their mother, their voices high and hysterical with grief…

"_**MOOOOOOM**__!"_

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Ed and Al slowly walked back to Envy's house, feeling the rain pelt their backs as the sloshed across the bridge.

Their faces were incurably downcast as they watched the cars rush by, splashing them with dirty water. Silence enveloped the two brothers. Ed gazed at the tossing waves below the bridge, and breathed in the sharp tang of the ocean. Al copied him, cupping his hands to catch the falling rain.

"Water always finds its way back to the sky, right Brother?"

Ed stared at Al. "I guess so. Why do you ask?" Their voices were both rather hoarse, he noticed.

Al turned and gave Ed a confident grin. "That means that we'll get through this. We'll see Mom again someday, I know it."

Ed looked down for a moment, lost in thought. Then he raised his head, and gave Al an equally confident grin.

"Yeah."

Gently knocking their knuckles together, they moved forward, their hearts beginning to lift.

-----------------------------------------------

Envy paced back and forth in the now-empty ballroom, with the remaining group sitting in beanbags that Wrath had dragged up from the basement. His eyes were filled with irritability.

------------------------------------------------

_Envy, age 8, sat at the kitchen table at the Elric household munching a cookie. Trisha Elric was laughing as he told her about the latest game he'd played with Ed. Ed was sitting beside him, gazing up at Trisha with undisguised love._

_Envy hugged Trisha and cried "I want you to be my Mommy!"_

_Trisha smiled sadly and said that she would try her best._

----------------------------------------------------

"Dang it, _why_?!" Envy growled, slamming his fist into the floor in rage. "Why did she—why is _she_ the one who has to die?!"

"Calm down, Envy." Riza said quietly, placing her hand on his shoulder. Envy shoved her off roughly.

"How _can _I? Trisha—!" Envy choked out.

A set of keys with a gold "G" was tossed onto the floor beside him. Envy looked up into the serious face of Greed, who looked unusually stern.

"Listen, the Elrics are without a ride. Let's go meet them." Greed said stiffly.

Envy picked up the keys and grinned. "You drive."

Greed's face broke out into a pointy grin as he snatched the keys back and asked "Anybody else wanna come?"

----------------------------------------------------

Ed and Al laughed merrily as they splashed through the puddles that had collected on the sidewalk.

Their mother's death was still prominent in their thoughts, but now they were speckled by a hint of optimism. They had their friends to help them through it—they would be fine. So they splashed each other playfully, kicking up waves with their soaked shoes. Al became so giddy that he could barely see straight. He stumbled slightly in the water, laughing as Ed shook himself like a dog to get the water off. Al leapt forward, forgetting that he was in the middle of the street—

At the exact moment a truck abruptly came into view.

Time seemed to slow down. Ed lunged for his brother, arms outstretched, screaming Al's name at the top of his lungs. He shoved Al away, and felt a burning, agonizing pain in his leg—

And fell unconscious.

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Greed's SUV screeched to a halt as the gang found themselves blockaded by a squad of police cars plus an ambulence.

"What's going on?" Envy wondered as he and Greed hopped out of the car and toward the small crowd of people.

A girl whom Greed recognized as the pink-haired Ichigo replied "Two kids were hit by a truck!"

"Can you describe them?" Winry asked worriedly.

"Well…one was short and blond…and the other had brown hair." Ichigo replied, clasping her hands.

The threesome stiffened and charged toward the ambulence. The sirens wailed in their ears like thousands of people mourning their loved ones.

"_EDWAAAAARD!_" Winry and Envy screamed as one, tears beginning to form in their eyes. They saw through blurred vision two young boys laid out on stretchers—one's face a mask of blood, the other' barely conscious. Greed's face remained stoic, though his jaw was noticeably clenched.

With fear in their hearts, they headed toward the hospital.

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	12. Chapter 11:

--

Before we begin: pardon my tardiness with this fic! Work and original fiction inspiration swamped me, as well as a cold. But I'm back now, and present to you Chapter 11!

Disclaimer: I don't own FMA.

Chapter 11:

--

"_En-vee, I wanted to braid my hair myself…" Ed age 12 complained. His large gold eyes were wide and annoyed, and his lips pouted in a childish way. _

"_Relax!" Envy said with a grin, weaving the braid clumsily through his pre-pubescent fingers. "I've seen Winry do this before." _

_Slowly, the braid began to shape itself in the brilliant-white sunlight. Birds were singing happily, flying gaily around the Elric property. Ed sat quietly on one of the swings that his father had long ago put up for his enjoyment. He felt Envy cease to work, and craned his neck. _

"_How is it?" Ed asked curiously. _

_Envy draped the braid over his shoulder and let Ed admire it. He was pleased beyond measure when his best friend grinned and gave him a thumbs up. _

"_It's great! Thanks, Envy!" Ed said happily._

_Envy smiled in a surprisingly bashful manner. "It's the least I can do…"_

--

Envy sat in the waiting room silently with Winry and Greed, with his head in his hands. He couldn't grasp it. He didn't _want _to. His best friend, Edward Elric, could be dying. And his brother, Alphonse—Envy nearly choked on his bile—Al had been hit by that truck awfully badly…more than likely he was dead too… Another memory assailed him, making him burrow his head deeper into his cold, clammy palms:

--

_An eleven-year-old Edward was holding his brother's hand protectively as they entered the Dante Mansion for the first time. Envy was laughing, welcoming them in, taking Ed by the hand and bringing him inside. Al was laughing at the embarrassed look on his older brother's face, politely introducing himself…_

--

_"Aww, look, the widdle baby's crying…"_

_Envy, age 11, was lying on the ground outside of Red Academy, nursing a bruise on the cheek. Three bullies stood menacingly in front of him, snickering to themselves. His uniform was ripped and torn in many places, and his hair was wild and untamed. _

_"Little freak…he doesn't even _say _anything!" the smaller bully complained, kicking him in the arm. "Even the _teachers _think he's weird!" _

_Envy glared at them, his ebony-black eyes flashing with anger. "You leave me alone! I mean it!" he growled, standing up._

_He was pushed down again abruptly by the biggest bully of the bunch. "Oh, yeah? Well we'll make sure that you don't come to school again anytime soon!" The bully laughed, raising his hand to punch Envy one last time—_

_Just as a golden blur in a pair of flip-flops aimed a kick at his head. _

_"What the—?!" the bully grunted, nearly falling face-first into the mud puddle in front of him. _

_"C'mon, guys! Three bullies from some stuck-up academy, that's about as cliché as it gets!" came a taunting voice._

_"Who're you?!" the smaller bully asked, not noticing that his third companion had already run off._

_"Why should I tell you?!" Another swift kick, and bully #2 was down and out. _

_The first bully grabbed his smaller friend and ran off, wailing "We'll get you for thiiiis!"_

_Envy stared at the blonde kid that had suddenly appeared in front of him. He wore a red-and-white polo shirt tucked in to a pair of preppy black pants. His hair was cut short, but his bangs were long. His golden eyes were warm and friendly._

_"Hi, there! I'm Edward Elric. I just moved here from Risenbool, a few miles from here. You looked like you were in a bit of trouble. What's your name?" The boy looked down at him eagerly, holding out a tanned hand._

_"…Envy." Envy replied softly, taking the hand and hauling himself up. He found that he was taller than Ed by at least three inches. "Hey, how could someone so little beat up guys so big?"_

_"WHO'RE YOU CALLIN' SHORT?!" Ed bellowed, flailing his arms. _

_Envy stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly felt a strange sound escape his throat. He had never heard it before—coming from him, anyway. It was a strange hissing noise. _

_"Oh, good! You're laughing! I was afraid you were too shocked to speak." Ed grinned, having finished his rant. "Hey, why don't I bring you to my house? Mom will clean you up, and she'll make cookies for you!" _

_Envy couldn't be happier. He had a friend…a real, true friend…_

--

"ENVY!"

Envy was jolted out of his memory by Winry, who was shaking him a bit more roughly than usual. He stared up at her blearily and noted that Greed had his cell phone open and was quietly talking to Lust, telling her to bring the others and meet them in the waiting room.

_It won't take them too long to get here. I'd better stop blubbering and put on my 'god face'. _

In a flash, Envy had wiped his eyes and now stood straight and tall, trying to keep his composure. It didn't last. He covered his eyes with his hands as he slumped back down in defeat. Greed clicked his cell phone shut and stuffed it back into his pocket. He shoved his sunglasses up to the bridge of his nose and exhaled. It was an obvious sign that Greed was trying very hard not to panic.

"I must look like such a wimp to you, Greed." Envy sighed, not caring if his voice was muffled.

"Not really. Our friends could be…" Greed broke off with a scowl, then continued: "…could be banged-up pretty bad. It's okay to be worried right now. Truth is, I'm about ready to slam my head into the wall."

Envy gave a shaky laugh. "Please don't. I've got enough people to worry about."

Greed shrugged and smirked. "Fair enough."

Winry sighed and sat down next to Envy, chin in hand. "When will the others be here, Greed?"

"15."

Winry smiled and patted Envy on the shoulder. "It's okay to be sad, Envy. You don't have to be perfect."

Envy snickered bitterly. "Of course I do. It's expected by all the kids in Central!"

Winry rolled her eyes. "But we're your friends, and we don't care what you act like. Well, okay, so we won't like you when you're being a son-of-a—anyway, we're going to stick by you. You can cry all you want, it doesn't matter."

Envy stared at her for a moment, then grinned. "I'll make sure to give you a solo performance next Friday."

Greed chuckled at Envy's version of "thank you". "Typical Envy."

--

Ed awoke to a familiar circle of people staring down at him, with relief in their eyes.

"You're awake!" Winry cried, laughing shakily as tears fell from her eyes and onto his face.

"We were afraid you were…" Sheska began, then shrugged.

Lust smirked. "Welcome back, Edward."

Riza nodded, brushing Ed's cowlick out of his eyes with a motherly smile.

Ed grinned to himself. Girls crying over him, huddling so close…he could get used to this…

A familiar hand waved in front of his face, pale and delicate-looking. "Hey, earth to soap-opera-wannabe! Those girls aren't the only ones worried about you!"

Ed laughed. "Thanks, Envy. How're things going, Mustang, Greed?"

"Well, now that you're alive, fine. Don't go dying before me, shrimp. Oh, and by the way, you have an automail leg now."

"That so?" Ed glared at Roy fiercely, spitting out "There's no way I'm dying before you, you morally-bankrupt Junior with a god complex!"

Everyone laughed, releasing the tension that had floated around them. Ed glanced around, noticing that there was someone missing.

"Where's Al?" he asked concernedly, clutching the linen sheets tighter.

Everyone tensed up again, saying nothing. Finally, Greed whispered:

"Over here, kid."

Ed followed Greed's pointing finger, and gasped in shock.

Al was sitting motionless in the bed opposite him, several tubes atatched to him. Wrath sat by his side, only his back visible. A heart monitor was beeping next to him, beeping slowly: _beep…beep beep…beep…_

"They…" Roy cleared his throat. "They say he's in a coma. They have no idea how long."

"No…" Ed whispered, his eyes wide with terror. "That can't be true…not Al…"

The assembled group watched him with grief. Tears began to well up in Ed's eyes.

"_No! Alphonse can't be—NO!_" Ed roared, slamming his fists on the bed repeatedly in pain and desperation.

Winry grabbed his arms and forced them back down. "Edward, please calm down. There's still hope…" Tears began to well up in her eyes as well, raining down upon him.

"Yeah. See—we're going to have a fundraiser at the parties now. We're going to start a collection—raise money to help Al get the medicine he needs." Envy explained with surprising gentleness, placing his hand beside Winry's. "_She _said that even our money isn't enough to cover the cost needed for it. Wrath and I will fork over two thousand, but the rest…well, everyone's pooling whatever money they have. The rest will have to come from our loyal fans."

Ed stared at his friends. "You guys…you would do this for Al?"

Even Greed nodded a little in response, blushing faintly at the "corniness" of the gesture.

"That little guy's helped me. I have a debt to pay."

Envy grinned and pressed the button on Ed's mattress to make it lift up. "So, that's the plan."

Ed's face suddenly broke out into a determined grin. "Right." He clenched his automail fist and stacked it on top of Envy's. "Let's go to work."

Winry laughed and placed her fist on top of his. Everyone else followed their example, with Wrath's fist stacked on top. "To work!" they cheered, raising their fists in the air as one.

And so, "Operation: Fullmetal Heart" was in session.


End file.
